As you begin a new chapter of your life in Australia, you will likely experience excitement and hassle simultaneously. You’ll have a lot to figure out, and one of your biggest priorities might be finding a place to live. Thankfully, no matter where you’re moving in Australia, there are plenty of rental options that you’ll quickly find online.
Some of the best websites where you can find an apartment in Australia include Domain.com, Realestate.com.au, Rent.com.au, Homely.com.au, and Flatmates.com.au. Domain.com is the most popular site that specializes in long-term rentals. Aside from that, it also offers an option where you can purchase your own home.
There is a variety of resources when it comes to looking for an apartment or house for rent in Australia. The platform Domain.com is the largest national real estate website. Read this article to learn more about renting in Australia and the best real estate websites.
Best rental websites to find your new home in Australia
Nowadays, you don’t have to visit real estate agents or countless phone agents to look for rental properties in Australia. You can do it all online and start your search before arriving in the country.
To help you with your search, we’ve compiled the most reputable real estate websites that offer rental properties in Australia. Their websites feature the latest listings, so you can rest assured that you can find somewhere to rent within a short time. Here’s the list.
1. Domain.com.au
As a leading property marketplace in Australia, Domain Group encompasses a portfolio of brands for agents, organizations, and individuals interested in Australian property.
It’s, by far, the most popular real estate website in Australia where you can find properties for rent. As a matter of fact, the website has an audience of 9.6 million people on a monthly basis.
Domain.com is a customer-centric property marketplace. Their website is super user-friendly and easy to navigate. Their goal is to make the whole property journey more manageable, enjoyable, and connected.
To find a place to rent on Domain.com, you must type the location by which you want to live in Australia on the search bar. You may also utilize their different filters to narrow your search even more and make it easier for you to find your dream home.
The filters you can use include choosing the property type you want, such as a house, apartment, townhouse, or land. You can also put the date when you need it to make sure it’s available.
Furthermore, you can also input a price range to display rental properties within your budget. This feature is really helpful, especially if you are working with a limited budget.
Besides that, you may indicate the number of bedrooms, baths, and parking so you are sure to find the right property that will suit all your needs.
2. Realestate.com.au
Realestate.com is another popular Australian website where you can look for property for rent. The owner of this website is the biggest real estate giant and leader, REA Group. That’s why you’re sure that you can find a property from here safely and conveniently.
Similar to Domain.com, it’s easy to find a property for rent from Realestate.com. Simply go to their rental page here and enter the location where you want to stay in Australia on the search bar.
Their website also has functional filters to help thin down your list. This functionality is helpful, especially if you are having a hard time choosing from the many options the website will show you.
You can choose from the different property types, including apartments and units, houses, townhouses, and villas. You can also set your minimum and maximum budget and enter how many bedrooms, baths, and parking the rental property should have.
What’s better with their website is there are also special filters that allow you to search for pet-friendly apartments, furnished units, or properties with fantastic outdoor features, such as a swimming pool, balcony, garage, and more.
You can also tailor your search depending on the indoor amenities you like, such as an apartment with an ensuite, study, dishwasher, or even built-in robes.
3. Rent.com.au
Rent.com is specifically made for renters looking for a place to stay in Australia. The website has been operating for 15 years, so you can ensure that it’s reputable and trustworthy.
The website features over 56,000 available rental units from 6,000 agents and private landlords. That means you will never run out of options and have a really high possibility of finding your home in the Land Down Under from here.
Moreover, the best thing about this website is they also have a mobile app that comes in handy. That only means that you can do your search from anywhere, just with a tap of your phone. Their app is available for download from both Google Play and App Store.
4. Homely.com.au
Homely has been helping people find their sweet homes for many years now. Since 2015, it has helped more than 7 million people in finding their new homes in Australia. Currently, they are renting out thousands of properties in every street, suburb, and neighborhood that you could ever imagine.
Homely partners with over 550 of Australia’s best real estate companies to give consumers a new way to search for homes to ensure that they are offering their consumers the best homes they deserve. Their partners include One Agency, Raine & Horne, Professionals, McGrath, Harcourts, and more.
Like Rent.com, they also have a mobile app, making finding an apartment accessible and convenient. Furthermore, another remarkable feature of this website is that it precisely pinpoints where is the rental property on the map and puts a little price tag on top of it so you can easily see if it fits your budget.
Aside from that, it shows pictures of the property in and out. It includes important details such as the number of beds and baths and the availability of other amenities.
Last but not least, it will also show you what’s around the property, such as malls, hospitals, schools, and other places you might need to access.
5. Flatmates.com.au
If you live alone in Australia, you might find renting a whole apartment all by yourself impractical and expensive. You might want to settle with shared accommodations if that’s the case. Luckily, Flatmates.com is a website to help you find just what you are looking for.
Flatmates is the largest shared accommodation website in Australia. There are two options here: look for a flatmate or look for someone who needs a flatmate.
It has listings all over the major cities in Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. It’s also quite easy to navigate as you can tailor your search to your needs.
For example, if you need to be near a certain university, you can type its name on the website’s search bar, and it will show you listings near it.
Renting in Australia: things you need to know
When it’s your first time renting in Australia, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind.
1. Complete your requirements to strengthen your application
In Australia, property managers look at someone’s rental history before choosing who to lease their property too. You might be worried about this as a first-time renter in Australia since you don’t have that rental history.
What you can do instead is to talk to the property manager and ask for a list of the requirements. Once you have the list, make sure that you submit all the documents written there along with your application, as it will help give you a boost.
Here is a list of some of the documents that you might need when renting in Australia as a foreigner:
- You need proof of employment and income to ensure you can pay the rent.
- An employer’s or another employee’s reference – it proves your employment and shows your responsibility and reliability.
- Referral from a neighbor – your neighbor can tell you how you are in your place.
- Your personal references should be from people you know, and not relatives. What makes you the best choice for the property manager?
- Photo identification
- A recent utilities or phone bill
2. Make a list of key considerations when searching for an apartment to rent
In order to find a suitable apartment or house, you should consider some things before searching property websites.
First, make a list of the must-haves and the nice-to-haves. The must-haves should include all your necessities, based on the following initial questions:
- Do you need more than one bedroom?
- Do you need a lot of parking spaces?
- Are there any specific features you are looking for in your new space (e.g., a large dining room, an outdoor area for kids)?
- Would you like to rent a pet-friendly house or apartment?
- Which location/s would you prefer to live in?
- What is the importance of proximity to public transportation and other amenities to you?
Inspect the property before taking the deal
Some people simply look at a home online, rely on the images, fill out an application, and sign a lease without even seeing the property. But when it’s time to move to the property, they get a lot of headaches from having many things that need repair. You know what they say, looks can be deceiving.
That’s why it’s crucial that you go there to inspect the property before finalizing the deal. If you see something for repair, you can even negotiate with the landlord or property manager.
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