Case Study - International Relocation

Rose was relocating to Sydney from Italy for work. She needed a new one-bedroom unit with a study and parking. Her must-haves were a balcony, being <800m to the beach, a dishwasher, internal laundry and absolutely no carpet – anywhere! If the home came with air conditioning, that would have been ideal for her.

Once we had worked on a property brief, we set about creating a winning application. This proved challenging as some of the required documents were back home and others were not in English. Once we prepared the application, the search began. After only a few days of searching and inspections, the perfect home was found. I inspected the property on behalf of Rosa and the property manager was delighted to meet me and commented that she had already spoken to the landlord about my client, knowing the high calibre of clients that I represent and the almost certainly, my client would have an all-star application. This is a property manager I have worked with many times before. This property was a staggering 94% compliant with Rose’s property brief and she was delighted to be approved for the home. Here’s what she had to say about my service:

I found the service so valuable and efficient. Finding a home in a foreign country is not an easy exercise, everything is different in terms of quality and ways of searching. In addition, dealing with the administrative side of things can get complex if you don't know how it works. Melissa is very precise and professional, with useful practical tips on how to do everything. Interaction was always responding to my needs and details in the reports were complete and responding to my needs. Thanks again for you work, I was really hoping it would be a fast research and it actually was! Thanks for everything, I'm really excited to finally have a home! The house is exactly what I was looking for and I'm settling in with no issues!

Melissa Maimann is a licensed real estate agent (renter’s agent and buyer's agent) in Sydney. She saves renters valuable time and frustration offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and effortlessly. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Relocations: Securing a Sydney Rental Property Stress-Free

When you are relocating to Sydney, there is a lot to consider, and the biggest problem facing people who are relocating is the issue of where to live.  It is incredibly difficult to get a sense of where to live without a concept of Sydney, budgets, suburbs, property styles and qualities, what you can afford at any particular price point in each area and so on.  That is before considering the availability of local schools, medical facilities, transport, pets and proximity to work.

One of the major problems that many international and interstate would-be tenants face is securing a rental property in the competitive Sydney market, without a rental history, and without being a current resident of Sydney.  Many property managers are reluctant to put forward overseas and inter-state tenants to their landlords as references can be difficult to verify, the person may have no Australian identification, perhaps have not secured work yet and may not have viewed the home.  These are all considered pre-requisites to an application being placed before a landlord for approval.

At Find My Rental Property, my many years of real estate experience and close connections with property managers ensure that I know what a property manager is looking for and what needs to be prepared in an application for it to be approved.  As well as this, I know Sydney extremely well and have got my briefing process down to a fine art, so I can easily use research and analytic skills to determine when the brief that is in front of me will be achievable.  Armed with an achievable brief and a top-quality application, I find rental homes for my clients confidently and with skill and accuracy.

My most recent client was relocating to Sydney from Queensland for work.  She had been looking for a rental home for 8 months.  She had been down to Sydney a few times to view properties, dismayed that they were nothing like the online images.  She had applied for four properties and been rejected for all of them.  Dismayed, stressed and worried as she was running out of time, she reached out to me.  I sought a detailed property brief and was able to advise several areas for her to review to allow a more achievable brief.  These were areas that she had not thought to consider and she was delighted to have more opportunities opened to her.  Then, we spend a lot of time working on her application.  She had been unsure just what was needed for a gold-star application and had only provided the bare basics: a driver’s license, a payslip and her Medicare card.  I know that so much more is needed, and was able to guide her with this. 

Finally, I set out on her search armed with a realistic property brief and a stand-out application.  The search commenced on Tuesday and during the week, I sent her several amazing properties to consider.  On Saturday, I set out to inspect three homes for her.  She loved all of them, I applied on her behalf for her favourite home and at 9.45am on Monday, I took a call from the property manager to let me know that the landlord had approved my client’s application.

At Find My Rental Property, I represent clients and have their best interests at heart, while at the same time making it easy for property managers to work with me to approve my clients for the homes that my clients love.  It is a win-win.  Property Managers have great respect for me and keep me informed of off-market rental properties so that my clients have priority by being aware of homes before they are presented to the general public.  I also maintain connections with private landlords to access off-market properties.

I do the hard yards, think outside the square and build a strong reputation with Property Managers and landlords who in turn prioritise my clients.  

 Melissa Maimann is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney.  She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently.  If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

The Popularity of Renting

Renting seems to be associated with a fair bit of negativity.  There is an assumption perhaps that people rent because they cannot afford to buy, that tenants mistreat their rental homes, that tenants are careless in general and that they are unreliable with their rent payments.  In my experience, nothing can be further from the truth.  A great number of tenants are tenants by choice, and own their own investment properties which they in turn rent out to other tenants.  They rent where they want to rent and live the lifestyle they want to live, respectful of the home that they are renting, as their expect their own tenants to respect their homes.  These are tenants who are savvy, responsible and reliable.

Far from being negative, renting offers so many choices and opportunities with very little risk:

• The opportunity to live in a new area before deciding whether to buy in the area

• The opportunity to sell your home and take the time you need to find your dream home, rather than being rushed into another purchase that might not be right for you

• The opportunity to live closer to work / study / family

• The opportunity to live flexibly, adapting your home to suit your life stage

• The opportunity to move with work

Renting has low barriers to entry:

• You simply need four weeks of rent for the bond

• Rent each week / fortnight / month

• You can move at the end of your lease and just pay for removalist costs - oh, and you get your bond back, too

Purchasing, on the other hand, requires:

• 10% deposit

• Stamp duty

• Legal fees

• Mortgage repayments for the next 30 years: the rate can go up (or down) over that term without notice to you

• If you wish to sell, you generally incur legal fees, agent's fees, marketing costs and uncertainty about what price your home will sell for.

All in all, renting offers people a flexible and affordable way to live.

Melissa Maimann is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Moving to Sydney?

Many of the people who use my service don't currently live in Sydney, and are moving to Sydney for a whole host of reasons: to be closer to family, for work or for a change.  For most people, their move would be much easier if only they had a home to come to ... right from the moment they step off the airplane.  Find My Rental Property has happily and easily assisted many overseas and interstate clients with their moves to Sydney by securing rental homes for their arrival.  The service can be provided 100% via email adding a level of flexibility and accessibility that gives confidence to clients.  Yolande used Find My Rental Property for her move from the Middle East.  Read what she has to say:

"You have taken so much stress away and been incredibly helpful!  I valued: excellent communication, honesty and trustworthiness, dedication, comprehensive information, very knowledgeable.  I was 100% satisfied.  You were sensational, made searching for a home completely stress-free and were a pleasure to deal with.  I would recommend you to anyone! You have been really amazing and I'm so grateful for your assistance!"

Melissa Maimann is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Pet-friendly Rental Homes in Sydney

Many people contact me for help when they are struggling to find a new rental home that they can share with their pets.  It's fair to say that renting with a pet can be a real challenge! 

The majority of my clients have pets and I have successfully placed all of my clients into pet-friendly homes that they love.  Dogs, cats, birds - all have been approved.

As an animal lover, I believe renters should be able to rent with their pets, and I go above and beyond to help my clients shine in their applications so that they are approved for their preferred home.

Why is it so difficult to find a pet-friendly rental home in Sydney?

There are many reasons:

1. Sydney is one of the most competitive cities in which to rent. Almost always, if a pet-owner and non-pet-owner are competing for the property, the landlord will approve the non-pet-owner.

2. In unit blocks, the body corporate needs to approve pets in their by-laws. Times are slowly changing and more and more unit blocks are allowing pets on the approval of the strata committee and the owner of the unit.

3. In unit blocks, not only does the body corporate need to allow pets, the landlord also needs to allow pets. Again, some landlords will be ok with say a cat, but perhaps not a dog.

4. The appropriateness of the property for the pet is also considered, eg it might be fine to have a small dog in a unit, but not a big one; it might be fine to have a dog in a garden unit / unit with a balcony / courtyard, but not a unit with no balcony or other outside space.

5. Sometimes, property managers are so very busy - and rental demand is so high - that it is easier to say no to a pet, than to approach the landlord and ask permission.

6. Some owners have experienced damage from pets in the past and no longer allow pets in their properties.

Why is this?

The vast majority of pets are well-behaved, much-loved, carefully looked-after, and cause no problems whatsoever.  But a small minority can cause huge (expensive) problems.  Cats weeing on wooden floorboards or carpets (can almost never get the smell out).  Dogs clawing or scratching wooden floorboards and doors.  Pets using curtains and carpets for scratching posts.  Animals not being toilet-trained.  Lingering smells of pets or animal fur long after the tenant has vacated, when the next tenant may be allergic to animal fur.  The list can go on. 

The landlord's ability to claim the cost of repairs for damage caused by pets is limited.  Damage to a rental property caused by a pet is not always covered under landlord insurance policies.  For some landlords, the only recourse is to claim against the 4 weeks' bond that has been paid, but on say a $600 pw property, this is only $2,400 which does not go very far to repair the cost of the damage.

Combine this with high rental demand for rental homes in Sydney, and you can understand why a landlord may be reluctant to rent a property to someone with a pet, when someone else has applied and they do not have a pet.

Many tenants engage Find My Rental Property when they are about to embark on their search for a pet-friendly rental home in Sydney.  We can do all of the searches and inspections for you, saving you oodles of time, because finding a home to rent with a pet is a time-consuming and frustrating process for most renters.  We do all of the leg work for you and making renting with a pet a breeze!

Melissa Maimann is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Breaking your Lease?

Let's face it: sometimes life demands more flexibility that what a standard six- or twelve-month lease affords us.  We may be relocated for work, a family crisis might occur, we might start a new relationship - or end one, or simply decide that our home no longer meets our needs.

So what's the best way to break a lease?

Well, the first step is to read your residential tenancy agreement to find out what is says in relation to breaking your lease and the fees that are payable by you.

The next step is to communicate your intention to break your lease verbally and in writing to your landlord or property manager. 

Most cases involving a break lease will leave you out-of-pocket, but in some cases, if you find a suitable tenant who can take over the lease for you, your costs can be minimised.

My suggestions

• Be co-operative, flexible, open and communicative when you're dealing with your property manager or landlord

• Try to negotiate areas of common ground so that the break lease can be as smooth as possible

• Return vacant possession on the day that you say you will. This means, leave the property, remove all of your goods and valuables and return the keys on the date that was agreed. Don't leave things behind ... or fail to move out!

• Leave the property in excellent condition. This means clean, all light globes working, lawn moved (if applicable), rubbish removed, everything in working order (or as you found it) and the keys returned.

• Leave a forwarding address

• Use your best endeavours to find a tenant (if this is a possibility for you)

• Understand that in most cases, a break fee will be payable and be co-operative with this payment

Landlords and property managers are people, too, and they will understand that life happens and sometimes we need to move before our lease is up.  The tips above will assist you in dealing with your property manager / landlord for a smooth outcome while minimising your costs.

Melissa Maimann is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

A typical week

Many people have asked me what a typical week looks like in my work as a rental search agent.

Saturday is my busiest day, with almost all available properties open for inspection on this day.  When I have finished my inspections, I use the rest of the day to prepare inspection reports for my clients.

On Monday, I follow-up with agents re: applications submitted from Saturday’s open homes and help my clients to secure their new home and celebrate.  Very few homes come on the market on Monday as the property managers usually use Monday to process applications.  Inspection times for the week are usually not posted until Tuesday or Wednesday because the property managers do not know what is still going to be available for lease until the weekend’s applications have been processed.  There are generally no open homes on a Monday because the agents are busy processing applications.

Tuesday generally brings new properties to the market.  Tuesday is a busy day for me, searching and evaluating new homes that have come on the market in preparation for open homes on Wednesday / Thursday.  By Tuesday, homes that remain available from Saturday’s inspections will start to have open home times scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Wednesday and Thursday are the most popular days for mid-week inspections. 

Wednesday and Thursday are again busy days as I have inspections and reports, ongoing property searches and property research / evaluation. 

Very little happens on a Friday in terms of new homes coming on the market, but this is again a busy day for me as I continue to evaluate homes ahead of Saturday’s inspections.  On Friday, I confirm my inspection schedule for Saturday (my busiest day). 

Melissa Maimann is a licenced Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

What to look for in a rental search agent

What to look for in a rental search agent

Here's my list of things to consider when you choose an agent to find a rental property for you.

License

Ensure that your agent is licensed.  Check the Fair Trading licensing section and ensure that they hold a current real estate agent's license.

Insurance

Ensure that your agent has insurance that covers them to work for you as a real estate agent.

Experience

Ensure that your agent has had experience in finding rental properties for clients - and preferably one who also works as a buyer's agent, as the experience in securing properties for purchase provides excellent experience for securing rental homes and negotiating leases and rents in your favour.  Plus, a buyer's agent is skilled in inspecting and evaluating homes and in interpreting the nuances of the data surrounding the home.

Service

Ensure that you have a very clear understanding of what the service entails and which parts are flexible, ie, would you prefer to do part of the service yourself, or outsource the entire process to your agent?  Does the service include advice through the course of your lease? 

Fee

Ensure you understand the fee and what it covers.  How long does the service last?  Are there any other fees that are payable?

Flexibility

A service that is $x for one day of inspections; $x for a certain number of hours, $x for a certain number of inspections etc is bound to make you feel nervous.  Go with a service that is unlimited for peace of mind.

Accessibility

Your rental search agent should be accessible to you by email and phone and should promptly respond to your communication.

Melissa Maimann is a Licenced Real Estate Agent, Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

What secrets can you tell me about the rental home that I'm thinking of renting?

In a word, many!

As a licenced real estate agent, I have access to property data portals (both APM PriceFinder and CoreLogic RP Data).  Put simply, if the information is available, I have access to it!

The sort of information I can uncover for my clients includes:

• Sales data: how often has the property sold? Is it currently for sale? Has it been difficult to sell in the past?

• How does the rent compare with the value of the property (rental yield) and with the median rental yield for the suburb?

• Rental history: what did it previously rent for, how long do the tenants tend to stay? Is it vacant for long periods of time between tenants? Does the rent always need to be discounted so that they can get a tenant? Is the rent able to be increased over time, suggesting that this is a home that the landlords continue to invest in and improve on

• History of renovations

• How old those online photos really are

• The floor plan

• Size and aspect

• Whether it's likely to be sold soon, or whether it is purely an investment property

• Nearby developments / DAs

• The rental and sales history for the block

Why does this matter?

• If you've ever signed your lease only to find out shortly after that the landlord is going to sell;

• If you've ever moved into this freshly-painted unit only to find after a couple of weeks your belongings are covered in mould;

• If you've ever moved in, chatted with your fellow resident tenants and found that you're paying way more rent than them;

• If you've ever moved in and shortly after, returned home one night to see that the house next door has been bulldozed and a new apartment block is to go up in its place

Then this information matters to you!

Melissa Maimann is a licenced real estate agent, buyer's agent and rental search / relocation agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Airbnb and the Sydney Rental market

Many people believe that Airbnb impacts the rental market, and recent research tells us that these beliefs are well-founded.

Cconsidering the small size of Airbnb in comparison to the total rental market in Sydney, the impact of Airbnb ought to be minimal.  However, this study shows us that the impact is not equally distributed, as the majority of Airbnb accommodation is in the higher-end areas such as beach-side suburbs and those areas that are closer to the CBD.

In these areas, there is a very real danger of local residents being pushed out of renting and living in these most sought-after areas, so that tourists can move in.  This impacts supply and cost of rental properties because those homes that remain on the rental market are able to command higher rents (due to shorter supply and higher demand).  Once again, tenants lose out.

Melissa saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently.  If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Struggling to pay your bond?

You might be relieved to find that there's a new service to help tenants who are struggling to pay their bond.  BONDSURE enables tenants to have their rental bonds paid on their behalf by the company, while the tenant pays it off over 6-12 months (for a hefty interest rate).  BONDSURE also offers tenants the option to take out bond insurance for $18 per month.

Bond insurance ensures that the tenant will be refunded their bond at the end of their lease, while the loan of the bond ensures that the bond can be paid upfront.

It might sounds like a great option for tenants to have, but we need to be mindful that Landlords and property managers are unlikely to rent a place to a tenant who cannot provide for their own bond up front.  That said, the bond insurance would add an extra layer of protection to tenants and property managers alike.

Melissa Maimann is a licensed real estate agent (renter’s agent and buyer's agent) in Sydney. She saves renters valuable time and frustration offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and effortlessly. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Using a Rental Search Agent

Many people struggle to find a rental property.  It takes a lot of time out of your day - searching on the Internet, contacting agents to ensure the property meets your basic requirements, inspecting, evaluating and applying.  And that's all before being accepted.

The best time to engage my service is 6-8 weeks before you are thinking of moving.  This provides us with plenty of time to find the best home for you, and alleviates you of all of the legwork involved in finding a rental home.  We do all of the Internet searches - and also search off-market for you - we enquire about homes, inspect them, write comprehensive reports including photos / video and even help you to write a successful application.  Our fee is a fraction of the time you will spend in your busy week.

Contact us today

Rental struggles

Mary (not her real name) recently approached me for some help.  She was moving to the Southern Highlands from interstate with her young family.  She planned to rent for about two years.  Being a long-term rental, it was important to her that it was the right property.  Moving twice with a young family is not ideal.

I was delighted to assist her, not just with inspections, but also with searches. 

How did I do more than what Mary could to search for a rental property? 

Well, here's a few other things that I did:

• I contacted all of the local property managers to explore what properties might be coming up that were not yet on the market

• I contacted all of the local sales agents to understand which properties had recently sold to investors

• I contacted my network of buyer's agents to see if any of their investor clients had recently purchased

• Examined my database for leads

You can appreciate that there is far more to a rental search service than a simple browse through the internet for rental properties.

Having found and short-listed properties, I was now ready to inspect them for Mary.  Mary received a detailed property inspection report, complete with photos.  It's not uncommon for there to be around 50 photos per property inspected.

I love to help people with their rental searches.  Finding a great rental property can be challenging, frustrating and at times lead people to feelings of despair and desperation.  I can alleviate my clients of all of those feelings and present solutions instead.

Melissa Maimann is a licensed real estate agent (renter’s agent and buyer's agent) in Sydney. She saves renters valuable time and frustration offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and effortlessly. If you need a Licensed Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Renting Success

For tenants across Sydney, finding a new rental home is tough.

In many areas of Sydney, competition is steep, and unless you're amongst the first to view a property, apply for the property and secure it, you may find you have limited success.

What sorts of things can make you stand out from everyone else?

Well, the first thing is to be first to become aware that a new property is on the market, and be quick to evaluate it and view it.

Yet, this is where many people are stuck.  How can one become aware of properties and be available to inspect them a moment's notice when perhaps they do not reside in Sydney, or the demands of family life or work make if difficult to attend open home inspections as soon as they come up.

This is where many people are now finding great value in my rental search service.  I know you have a full-time job that may extend to 40+ hours per week across 5-6 days.  My full-time job is finding hoes for people.  I'm available and on task every day, becoming aware of new properties, evaluating them and of course am available to inspect them, whatever time the inspection is taking place.  This brings a huge relief to my clients.

If you need a hand with finding your next rental home, let me help you!  All day long, I help tenants find homes.  I search for homes, short-list them, enquire about them, inspect them, report on them and help my clients apply for them - successfully.  If your rental search experience has been over-rated, contact me so that you can enjoy your Saturdays and keep your sanity.

Rental vacancy rates are under 2%. What does this mean for you?

In many areas that I cover for my rental search service, rental vacancy rates are down under 2%.  I'm hearing many clients lament that the home they love that's just come on the market has been leased before they even had an opportunity to inspect it.  They are wondering if this is normal ... or what?

Unfortunately, yes, this is the norm.  In most areas in which I locate rental homes for my clients, vacancy rates are down under 2%.  This means that fewer than 2% of all possible homes that can be rented, are available for rent at that point in time.  It is Landlord's Paradise but a Tenant's Nightmare.  For me, finding homes for people is my full-time job.  For most people, their full-time job is very different, and they try to squeeze finding a rental home into their spare time, but this approach sees them missing out again and again.

The other issue is that it is an incredibly competitive space for tenants when rental vacancy rates are so low.  It means that more tenants are competing for fewer homes, landlords can be very picky with regards to tenant selection.  This presents another issue for tenants: how to stand out from all of the other tenants who are applying for the same home.  Unfortunately, the average tenant applies for several homes and only gets approved for one, and that home is not necessarily their favourite home.  In my service, I have found that 100% of the applications submitted have been approved. 

The final issue that low vacancy rates presents for tenants is that there's not a lot of choice!  The best that a tenant can do is to have a very clear idea of what they need, what they want, what they don't want and where they're prepared to be flexible.  I can add value to this area as well, with extensive experience in helping tenants appreciate what they can afford for their budget, what to expect of the area they're considering living in and how to be realistic and flexible so that a great home can be found in as little time as possible.

If all this sounds way too familiar, let me help you!  All day long, I help tenants find homes.  I search for homes, short-list them, enquire about them, inspect them, report on them and help my clients apply for them - successfully.  If your rental search experience has been over-rated, contact me so that you can enjoy your Saturdays and keep your sanity.

Melissa Maimann is a licenced Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Has your agent asked you to have your home professionally cleaned when you move out?

If your agent has asked you to have your home professionally cleaned before you vacate, you're not alone.  But did you know that you cannot be required to have the home professionally cleaned?

Your residential tenancy agreement requires you to leave the home reasonably clean, having regard to the condition of the home at the commencement of the tenancy.

As well as this, agents cannot require you to have the carpet professionally cleaned when you leave, unless you have agreed to clean the carpets professionally as part of a condition that allows you to keep a pet at the home.

This being the case, you might be very surprised to hear, as we were, that end-of-lease clean-ups are tenants nearly $200M.

Apparently, 20% tenants lose an average of $1,224 of their bond when landlords find the property is dirty upon departure.  With 821,830 bonds lodged in NSW currently, this could cost renters as much as $191 million.  It seems that the CBD, Liverpool and Bondi are the worst geographies at keeping their bond.

Tenants do need to leave their homes reasonably clean, however how the tenant achieves this is their decision.  For some, professional cleaning is the way to go: perhaps they don't like cleaning or they're busy or they want the job done well.  It's true that if the home is not left in reasonable condition and the tenant fails to rectify this, their bond may be withheld.  However, landlords and agents cannot require a tenant to have the home professionally cleaned unless animals have been kept at the premises.

Melissa Maimann is a licenced Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Getting Smart! Understanding those rental ads.

One of the biggest issues that face people who are searching for a rental property in Sydney is that oftentimes the home they inspect looks or is, nothing like what was advertised.  Frustrated, people often wonder how this can be possible.  They have read the description and viewed the photos .... but .... there is some kind of disconnect.  Use our guide to understand the real meaning behind those somewhat deceptive terms.

1. "Good" condition

Beware of anything that is in "good" condition.  It usually means it looks awful and requires a complete renovation, but it is functional.

2. $800 per week

The advertised price is not always the price that the property will end up renting for.  This is merely the price that the Landlord would like to achieve for the property.  Unless you know rental vacancy rates for the area, current demand and comparable rentals, you might be in for a shock!  $800 might end up more like $820, or even $750! 

3. Views

Is a view still a view if it can only be viewed up on tippy toes in the very corner of the window?  If the ad says there are views, ensure that there's a photo of the view that you can expect to see.

3. Close to transport

When they say ‘close’, check the place out on Google maps and see just how close.  It might mean the bus stop is right outside your bedroom window, or that your windows and doors will vibrate every time a train goes past!

4. Garage

Not all garages fit a modern car!  Sad but true.  The cars of the 1930s were a tad smaller than our modern cars.  The other consideration is whether the double lock-up garage is a tandem garage. 

5. " Good-sized"  ...

Anything that is "good-sized" is probably small. Particularly the "double" bedrooms.

6. If it doesn't say it's bright and light ...

It probably isn't. Unless you turn all the lights on!

7. Comes complete with washing machine, dishwasher and air-conditioning

Sounds great - but anticipate that they may not work (or work well) when you move in (they'll be repaired though).

8. Brand new carpet and paint

Sounding good!  Expect that it will be cheap carpet and paint that looks great but damages easily.  Take care!

If you need an agent to find your next rental home in Sydney for you, contact me

Melissa Maimann is a licenced Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Relocating to Sydney? Here's what you need to know

When you're relocating to Sydney, there are some things you'll need to know to make your move smoother.

• A car is necessary in many areas of Sydney, although many areas are well serviced by public transport.

• Housing and rental prices in Australia are fairly high, and most people are shocked at how much they will need to pay to find housing in some areas of Sydney.

• Enjoy Sydney: it has a lot to offer, from breaches to shops, entertainment, Blue Mountains, cafes and restaurants, dancing and of course the Zoo.

• We have an excellent healthcare system, and being a capital city, we are blessed to have excellent access to a full range of medical and health services seven days a week. Ensure that you have health insurance arranged before you arrive.

Melissa Maimann is a licenced Buyer's Agent and Rental Search / Relocation Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Who uses a Rental Search Agent?

It's a common question I am asked.  People use my service for a whole range of reasons. 

No time to find a home

There are many variations on this theme.  You might be busy at work, unable to take time off for inspections, enquire with agents, search for properties etc.  You might have family demands.  You might be caring for someone who is unwell. You might be traveling a lot for work.

Relocating from Overseas or Inter-State

Some of my clients are not physically in Sydney to inspect the homes and they need a licensed agent to inspect the homes on their behalf.

how do i rent a home in sydney?

Most of my clients do not know the market that they would like to rent in.  They are unsure what they can get for their budget, the dominant property types in their areas of interest, general lease terms, what to expect of renting a home, rights and responsibilities, how to apply and how to search for homes.  They appreciate an agent acting on their behalf, after all, landlords have agents representing them.

Unsuccessful and frustrated

Some of my clients have been trying for a while to find a home - unsuccessfully.  Perhaps they can't find what they're after, their applications have been unsuccessful and they're not sure why, or they feel dismayed at the sheer volume of competition.

If all this sounds way too familiar and you're over it, let me help you!  All day long, I help tenants find homes.  I search for homes, short-list them, enquire about them, inspect them, report on them and help my clients apply for them - successfully.  If your rental search experience has been over-rated, contact me so that you can enjoy your Saturdays and keep your sanity.

Melissa Maimann is a licenced Buyer's Agent and Rental Search Agent in Sydney. She saves tenants time and frustration by offering an affordable service that finds and secures the best rental properties quickly, easily and efficiently. If you need a Licenced Real Estate Agent to find your next rental home for you, don't hesitate to make contact.

Who loves searching for a rental home?

Did you know that searching for a rental home can be one of the most frustrating and time-consuming activities a person can engage in?

Some say that the same can be said of finding a home to buy to live in, however, there's a few key differences:

1. Agents generally treat potential buyers better than they do potential tenants ... emails and phone calls are returned, for example

2. Time is not necessarily pressing, because if the potential buyer cannot find a suitable home, there is another alternative - renting - until something suitable comes up, yet with renting, time is usually more pressing and the inability to find a rental home usually has more expensive implications (ie short-term accommodation)

So ... finding a rental home.  What exactly are the issues and struggles?

• Turning up for an open home, only to find it has been falsely advertised as having or not having things that are actually deal-breakers for you

• Inconveniently-timed inspections requiring you to leave work early / start late

• Agents not returning calls or emails

• Agents not knowing about the property other than, "It's open at 12pm on Saturday. Why don't you come and have a look for yourself?"

• Turning up for an open home, along with 20 other excited people, only to find an application has being processed and the new tenants are set to pay their holding deposit in an hour

• Arriving on time for an open home, but with a fairly booked schedule of open homes - the first open home you have planned is a great property, but where is the agent? Someone calls the agent and they say they're running 15 minutes late (for a 15-minute inspection) ... and you need to get to the next open home.

• Coming out on a cold, wet day to inspect a property that seems to be great. Parking is a challenge, you get heavily rained on, step in a big puddle you didn't see, and the property is a disappointment.

• Beware the "double" bedroom, the "good" kitchen, and "transport right outside the door" - unless you like bus stops at your bedroom window.

• Properties advertised as available, that are really leased already, they just haven't been removed from the property websites.

• Deceptive photos ... yes, the room does have the carpet that's in the photo, but it is stained and smelly; rooms that are nowhere near as bright as the photos suggest; lawns that are far from green and lush: they're practically destroyed; a lock-up garage that doesn't open, or fit a car, or both.

Let's just say for argument's sake, all the stars have aligned.  The property is as it presents online, the agent does come for the open home, it is still available, and you really love the home.  Now you need to make it yours.  This is where the fun begins.

How do you make that home yours when there's 5 other applications on it?

How do you get your application to stand out from the competition?

How do you get honest feedback on your application before it's submitted?

If you're like most people, you apply, sit back, and wait to hear something ... anything.  Days go passed.  "This can't be right", you think.  You're right.  It isn't right.  The property is not yours.  It went to someone else four days ago, but no-one thought to let you know.

If all this sounds way too familiar and you're fed up and over it, let me help you!  All day long, I help tenants find homes.  I search for homes, short-list them, enquire about them, inspect them, report on them and help my clients apply for them - successfully.  If your rental search experience has been over-rated, contact me so that you can enjoy your Saturdays and keep your sanity.