# rental references in Sydney



## amgood (Aug 28, 2009)

My husband and I are looking for an apartment in Sydney. We recently moved here from the US and are in a temporary rental until October, which we obtained through a friend. I know the rental market is tight in Sydney, and so we are trying to get everything prepared ahead of time. I have a few questions:

-what information should be included in a rental reference?
-is a letter of recommendation from an employer really necessary if we already have a pay stub? My husband is a professor at the University of Sydney.
-are _character _references really necessary? 
-we have our two cats with us, and are prepared to write a cover letter saying how reliable we are as tenants, mature and former home owners (sold our house to move), we have a good income, etc. Also, that we are willing to increase our bond. Is that a good idea? 

If anyone can give me any advice about renting in Sydney, I would greatly appreciate it!


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi:

Rental reference, mainly history of payments of that rental (receipts).
Letter of recommendation from employer can help, pay stubs are even better.
Character refs: not needed
Cats: Oh dear, this is going to be tough, you'll need to call the agents to see if they'll consider pets as no listing will say Pets OK.



amgood said:


> My husband and I are looking for an apartment in Sydney. We recently moved here from the US and are in a temporary rental until October, which we obtained through a friend. I know the rental market is tight in Sydney, and so we are trying to get everything prepared ahead of time. I have a few questions:
> 
> -what information should be included in a rental reference?
> -is a letter of recommendation from an employer really necessary if we already have a pay stub? My husband is a professor at the University of Sydney.
> ...


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## lady.lee (Jul 10, 2010)

Hi there, 

It really depends on which rental agency you apply for an apartment with as they all have their own processes and different criteria for approving tenancies. For some, character reference might not be necessary, but for others it might be a priority. We just went through this and we are still home owners in NZ and wrote a similar story in our application to Century 21, showing our rates/home ownership records together with copies of our employment contracts showing annual salaries to prove we have the means to pay the rent. For Century 21, they were fine with this because we didnt have any character references, but Ray White rejected our application as incomplete because we didn't have any references. 

So, really just depends in my experience... the more proof as to your means to pay though, would likely be better. Renting with cats though may be a problem.


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## cbsquirrel (Apr 3, 2010)

I just went through the rental process in Sydney with a dog, and it is difficult but doable. I did find a few places that said pets okay, but there are significantly fewer places and a lot of them were unsuitable. That being said, since I had a dog, I had to have a garden/courtyard, whereas you would be able to make do with an apartment.

You should start looking as soon as you arrive. I have been told that winter is the best time to look in Sydney and that it gets progressively harder as you approach spring. At least with several months of temporary accommodations, you can afford to be a little selective. DON'T just take the first place that comes along, a lot of places are really dumpy/in bad neighborhoods/not near public trans etc, but you should still be able to find something that's good, even with the pets.

P.S. I hope you are prepared for the prices. I am currently paying $500/week, which is good for a 2 bedroom with a courtyard near the beach.


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## amgood (Aug 28, 2009)

cbsquirrel said:


> I just went through the rental process in Sydney with a dog, and it is difficult but doable. I did find a few places that said pets okay, but there are significantly fewer places and a lot of them were unsuitable. That being said, since I had a dog, I had to have a garden/courtyard, whereas you would be able to make do with an apartment.
> 
> You should start looking as soon as you arrive. I have been told that winter is the best time to look in Sydney and that it gets progressively harder as you approach spring. At least with several months of temporary accommodations, you can afford to be a little selective. DON'T just take the first place that comes along, a lot of places are really dumpy/in bad neighborhoods/not near public trans etc, but you should still be able to find something that's good, even with the pets.
> 
> P.S. I hope you are prepared for the prices. I am currently paying $500/week, which is good for a 2 bedroom with a courtyard near the beach.


Thanks for your advice and encouragement. We're looking already and getting the information together. Most of the places I see that are for rent are available immediately, however, not when we need them in October. I've been told that September and October are some of the best months to look, at least near the university. We are prepared for the prices, and are now paying $600/week. As you know, it is quite different finding a place here compared to the US--at least in my experience.


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## cbsquirrel (Apr 3, 2010)

You can break your current lease, which isn't really that big a deal here. I would recommend doing that -- find a place that you like and break your current lease, instead of trying to find a place for a certain time start date. You are going to have difficulty finding something too far in advance, and by the time Sept/Oct rolls around, you might feel a little desperate.

Just my $0.02.


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