Securing housing in Canberra is defo an experience

LSD said :

gsgs#6 – definitely referring to renting… I’d love to buy… but it’s quite far to commute for any properties I’ve looked into!

So I’m going for the renting until I can marry my way into local high society…

even share housing is incredibly bureaucratic now… it’s like going for a job with ASIO… I haven’t experienced any requests for psychometric testing yet, but it wouldn’t have surprised me.

Best of luck, then. Hopefully you can find a place that suits your needs.

I’ll definitely second #7. If you can offer a little over the price they have advertised it just makes you stand out that little bit more… maybe enough to get you a home when you’re living out of the car. I’m so glad I’m in a stable place; I got very sick of playing the rental roulette.

gsgs#6 – definitely referring to renting… I’d love to buy… but it’s quite far to commute for any properties I’ve looked into!

So I’m going for the renting until I can marry my way into local high society…

even share housing is incredibly bureaucratic now… it’s like going for a job with ASIO… I haven’t experienced any requests for psychometric testing yet, but it wouldn’t have surprised me.

My advice is to go for private rental and keep an eye on the Canberra Times as well as Allhomes. The property agents are a right pain, they want copies of 100 points of ID and some of them evidently want copies of your bank statements as well as payslips. I was really unhappy about supplying copies of my driving licence, passport etc etc randomly to agents just on the offchance that I might get the property!! We didn’t even attend the open home with the agents that wanted our bank statements.
Take prefilled application forms with you, there is a ridiculous amount of demand for rentals, hand them in at the open home. 😀
Fortunately, we were offered a private rental found through the CT, which is the route I’ll be going again if/as and when I have to.

Aurelius # 8 No

Isn’t it illegal to make photocopies of photo licences?
It was illegal in NSW to photocopy licences before they included photos.

Make yourself known to the agent when you arrive, and ask them lots of questions about the place. If you can, be the last to leave with them before you hand them your application (they seem to like it if you turn up with everything they want then & there – payslip copies, copies of driver’s license, covering letter introducing yourself, written references, etc.).

Definitely dress neatly. I’d second LSD’s comments about not telling them why you need to move – best to make it seem like you could care less, and that you’ve chosen to move, and chosen to apply for this place … rather than NEED.

Failing all that – its well known that you offer an extra $5-10 a week, and it can often make the difference, especially if all applicants are well dressed, caring and sharing, have good refs, etc. It might not be the most palatable thing to do, but if you’re getting desperate and need to get your life settled … it might be what makes the difference.

To the OP – are trying to secure housing through renting or buying? Some good info here about renting, but buying is a totally different kettle of dolphins.

I had a similar experience interstate a couple of years ago, trying to find rental at the beginning of the Uni year just to make life more interesting.
I definitely found the schmooze tactic the winner. After some ridiculous number of attempts, the 5 minutes of time spent chatting to the agent put us at the top of the prospective tenant list.
Some agents have their rental tenancy application forms available on the internet, or from their office prior. If you can have this with you, pre-filled out when you turn up to the inspection, that seems to be a big help too.

Interesting, I always thought the owner made the choice site unseen. Well that is what happens with my place anyway. Agent gives me a list of applicants, makes a few, repeat few recomendations but in the end I choose. I select based on rental history and income.