Renting tips?

Ok so i was just wondering how much everyone pays in rent ?(if thats ok:redface:)
im looking at moving for the first time from home n i am a single mum of a 6mnth old so i need to be realistic as to wat i can afford etc (ill prob be getting $800 or so a fortnight), Any single mums out there too who rent any tips or advise ? i live in near byron bay id love to stay around this area too for family n friend support but i guess i cant be very picky..

*what do i need to know
*tips on renting
* what to look for etc
and anything else??

I live in a small town outside of the city, and I pay $200 a week for a 3 br house in the good area :) You would be paying a lot more than that I think being in BB.

Tips, well firstly get your credit report because they need that and it's best to get that done straight away :)
When you go in to book a time to view make sure you are dressed nicely, and anyone going with you, and the kids are going to be good (in other words right on nap time is a bad idea).
Before you hand in your application for a house, make sure you do a drive by. I like to do these three times, once in the middle of the day and once midweek in the middle of the night, and on a Friday or Saturday night too. Take note of noise, neighbours etc. Make sure you take note of how well your neighbours yards are looked after too, can really tell what a person is like by having a really quick snooping over the back fence lol
Take a lot of photos when you get your house, of any marks, holes, tears or stains. Give 1 copy to your landlord or realestate, and keep a copy in a safe place for yourself.
Keep all rent receipts.

Make sure when your choosing a house that you think about all the important things...
How secure your yards are
What the area is like
Bus accessability
Parks for the kids
Schools in the location (sometimes a public school that you want to send your kids to wont take them if there is a closer one in the district)
Where the shops are and if it's walking distance
How close you are to busy streets

Good luck, renting is so exciting and finding a house can be very very frustrating when you get rejected time and time again but the right one will just 'fall in your lap'

i believe its only in tas you need the credit report :)
i doubt you would want to spend over 200 per week.. as it is thats 1/2 your weekly wage..

Thanks missymoo n doudou,
Wow thats great a 3br, thats a great price hun ive been looking online the best is about 250-300 pw for a one bdr,(and not very nice) and thats surrounding areas too around byron, mainly brunswick heads, ocean shores, mullumbimby.
guess i might have too look around at other areasfurther than i wantt, its abit scary i want and need to do this for my daughter and myself but its going to be lonely n hard..( haaving a bad today sory)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.... whatever you do take photos of EVERYTHING when you move into a place so that you can use it as proof if there are any issues. RE's try and sting you for everything otherwise!
GL in finding somewhere. Hope you find something you like.
xxx

Emma- hun i just want to say that while it's hard sometimes and lonely, it's the best thing i've ever done!
I moved out 5 weeks ago and i love it. Yes, Toby is older than you're daughter, but he's still hard work sometimes :lol:
I love being on my own and being able to raise the Toby the way I want to raise him.
Good luck hun... And as for the credit report, they dont check it in Vic so it must just be a state by state thing?

Hi there.

I pay $400 a week for a gorgeous brand new 3 bdrm house in a new suburb. It is more than what we can afford but we make it work.

And yes i really advise that before you sign a lease that you do a walk through of the place and write down every fault that the place has, as far as i know most real estates have to do it and they have you sign it its so that when you have inspections it on record that the place had faults and they cant pin it on you.

No advice just subscribing cz Ill be making the big move once the girls are home and in some sort of routine :) Good luck emmasn

Just a thought..have you considered a private rental? Often they are a lot cheaper than going through a real estate (because of the r/e fees). Make sure you have a couple of good references, from your boss and from someone who has known you for a long time. Good luck!! It took us a while to find the place we are in now, but it is worth it in the end!

oh really, it might just be a tassie thing here. You can't get a rental here without a credit report.

Yeah we needed a credit report and we were really worried, because DP is insolvent but thankfully they didnt check for that. Though some are really strict. And going private is the worst thing to EVER do. I would rather go through a real estate than the actual owner. I remember as a kid my mum did that and the owner would come over every week. it was frustrating and they tend to be more anal about things.

$800 a fortnight seems an awefull lot for a single mum to paying, please make sure u can absolutely afford it comfortably before you sign anything, once u sign the contract if u need to get out of it because ur struggling to pay it, it can be costly.
but in saying that, if u go out further and ur constantly travelling to see family and friends it might work out about the same.
We paid $250 for a 3 bed 2 bath 2 garage house in a lovely estate.

Ditto everyone else.

While I hope you have better luck than I have as a single mum; be prepared that you might look for awhile. Ive been applying for place after place for 2+mths now and nothing.

SOrry to hear that Anna :(

If you have good references, work ones, non personal ones, old reat estate ones, you have a better chance.

I didn't have any real estate ones, but I did come and look at 13 houses in 1 day and I got offered 3 so it's not always hard as a single mum. I also had a defult on my credit but still got a house which surprised me.

Hi Sweet, not much advice, but surely you would be able to get some Rent Assistance from the government? I am not sure how this works, and you probably already know this, so it is probably a silly comment, but just thought I would write it anyway!
It has been a few years since we rented now, so I am sure prices have changed a lot. Back then, I think we were paying about $250 a week for a massive house with a huge yard. It was much too big for us actually, and before that we were paying about $165 per week for a new townhouse (I am talking back in about 2004!)...we live country Vic though. Good luck.

Thanks everyone for ur advise,
ive saved 3k to help me out wen i do move out with bond etc i cant really relie on cs as i only get $12 fortnight, wonder how much rent assistance you would get. it means alot all of your help thanks so much x

Anna sorry to hear that too hun hope u find somewher soon hun, where u from

Madissun- thanks so much hunny means alot :)

skybie- yeh true hopefully rent wil go down in the next few months(doubt it lol)

Babe you should be able to get Rent Assistance. The maximum they pay is about $133 a fortnight (i think, dont quote me!)

It really is an exciting time and well done on saving the $3K...it will definitely help you out :)

If your fortnightly rent is over something like $400+ you get max rent assistance which is approx $140 fortnight. Youd be entitled to it for sure if your on parenting payments.

I think my housing problems are because Im in Sydney. I think people's attitudes stink towards single parents being tenants here; obviously there are exceptions to this but they are mostly in the private rental market. I dont think youll have much problem getting a place on the nth coast, from what Ive seen and heard the further out of cities you get the more compassionate landlords/real estates are.