The Great NZ House Rental Lottery !!!!

[ScotsJon]

Last week my wife and I decided it was time to start looking seriously into house rental. We are both employed (125k + income), legal and in good jobs.

We budgeted about $550 a week in Titirangi area, which can get you a cracking 5 bedroom with decks and views and if lucky a pool. So you would think no problem eh ?

Oh no, not in NZ, first of all, rental agents (good and bad) invite you to an open home to view the property. They then give you a simple, badly copied generic form to fill in and return. They will then "let you know".

OH fell in love with one earlier today, and I offered the agent a years rent up front just to try and secure the deal - but NOPE, all interested parties have to follow procedure - what procedure ? having lived in the UK and US when you wanted to rent out a property all you did was see the agent, prove you could afford it, supply references and a credt check and it was a done deal.

So be warned if you are coming out here to rent, it could take you weeks to get it sorted out and you may not get the property that you want, even if you can tick all the correct boxes.

[Dawn]

What? Crazy. Maybe that's just AKL were it's busier and more people want properties? It didn't happen to us in Hamilton. It was pretty much like you stated for UK and US: see house, ring agent, view house, fill out form and pay week/2 weeks/month up front + bond, move in.

Nice!

[TanyaJ]

Sounds like we got lucky. We saw a place we liked, said "we'll take it" and were given a lease after a quick phonecall to the home-owner by the rental agent.

We had to provide references during the week but all was fine and we moved in a few days later.

Sorry you're having a rough time of it! And with your budget, they are mad to mess you around

[Jacqi B]

Originally Posted by TanyaJ

We had to provide references during the week but all was fine and we moved in a few days later.

What kind of reference did you provide? Was it something you took with you when you emigrated?
I've never rented (unless you count council accommodation and I haven't been a council tenant for ten years). So no landlord to say I'm a good tenant. Or are they looking for bank or employer references?

So many things to think about that I don't even know I need to think about!

[zummerzet_lou]

We'd never rented either previously ...

Just had some credit checks done on us, and I think that was it! Needless to say, they were fine as there's only so much debt you can accumulate in 2 weeks!

Oh, and I brought over all my proof of no claims etc, as we were advised to and got the car insurance and not had to prove anything!

Lou