Rent a House in Australia

As a new comer with a family it is very difficult to find a place to stay as most of the house renting is done through real state agents and they using a point system call 100 points

More details about 100 Points can be found here

If you have 100 points please use http://www.realestate.com.au/rent for finding a proper rental property

In any case if you found a place you need to have a one month bond and first month rental.

The owner then will submitted the bond to Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) ,
More information can be found at http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing-and-accommodation/renting/rental-bond-and-condition-report/residential-tenancies-bond-authority

Before move in to the new property or with in defined time period you need to prepare condition report 
"When a bond is paid, a landlord or owner must prepare a condition report for the tenant or resident, which notes the general condition of the property, room or caravan, including fittings and fixtures."
about the property. This is the one land load or agent will use at the end when releasing the bond.

If you do not have 100 points better thing is find a rental property directly from the owner. The best place for finding a owner rental propert is from http://www.gumtree.com.au/

Things to consider when renting

The outside
Does the outside of the property appear to be in good condition?
Does the property seem secure? Are external doors secure? Is there an entry-phone system and burglar alarm?
Is there a garden? Who is responsible for the maintenance of the garden?
What is the area like? Are your preferred amenities and transport links within easy reach?
Are there any potential nuisances?
What are the neighbours like?
Has the property ever been burgled or damaged?
Are the locks of good quality and secure?

The inside
Is it in good condition? Are there signs of damp, flaking paint or infestations of any kind?
Do repairs need to be carried out? Are there any broken items of furniture?
Is there central heating? Do all the radiators function properly?
Is it properly insulated? Is there double glazing?
Is there enough storage space for your belongings?
Is there any sign of dodgy wiring, loose wires or faulty plugs or lights?
Do kitchen appliances such as washing machines/dishwashers work?
Are there enough kitchen cupboards and work surfaces?
Are pots, pans and kitchen equipment in good enough condition to use?
Are the bedrooms adequately heated? Are there curtains?
Check the bathroom(s) and make sure taps are not leaking. Does the shower work properly?
Are the sealants around the bath and shower intact?
Are you allowed to change the decoration in the property?
Are there enough electrical and telephone points and are they in the right places for your needs?
Does it have broadband or wi-fi?

Safety checks
Have all appliances had safety checks (PAT tested)? Is the paperwork available to view?
Do the downstairs windows (if any) have locks?
Is there a burglar alarm?
Is there a safety blanket and fire extinguisher in the kitchen (required by law)?
Is there a Landlord's Gas Safety Record available to view?
Do the furnishings comply with the latest fire safety regulations?
Are there carbon monoxide detectors present?
Are there enough smoke alarms? Do they work?
Is there an easy means of escape in the event of a fire?

Financial considerations
How much is the rent and what is included?
What other bills are there and what are you liable to pay for?
How much of a deposit is required? What are the conditions for the landlord deducting money from the deposit?
What are the estimated running costs of the property?
Can you comfortably afford the rent on top of the deposit and running costs?

General considerations if you decide to proceed
If anything needs to be repaired, you will have to ask the landlord in writing
If the landlord agrees to make repairs, get it in writing
Double-check the inventory before you move in
Get a copy of the tenancy agreement and make sure you fully understand it
Get (and keep) your own signed copy of the tenancy agreement
Can you ask previous tenants about their experience of the landlord and the property?
Check and note all meter readings on the day you move in.

Entry to Australia

I am writing this document to help to many of the friends who new to Australia or who are plan to come to Australia as a Permanent Resident.

• What’s need to bring
• Individual
• All documents including degree certificates , police reports, medical reports, employee references, any letters from central bank.
• Once you come to Australia you can see most of the goods and services are too cost than most of the other countries. So it is better to bring many as you can until you found your dream jobs. This include
• A Laptop.- Sometimes there are better deals in Australia. But its depends
• Full suits (max of 2), this needs for interviews
• Bring necessary cloths which can be used for 6-12 months
• Bring 2-3 winter coats. You can buy that from ODEL or House of fashion
• Organized certificates file
• A CV which is matched with Australian standards
• Medicine - Please bring all the necessary basic medicines like panadol.. etc at least for 3-6 months until you have a proper income.
• Please go to Department of Health Web Site  for more information
• Family with baby
• Bring all the medical/immunization records even for a visit of 1-2 week
• Bring all the necessary medicine needed for baby until shown to a local GP in Australia.
• Please go to Department of Health Web Site  for more information
• At the Melbourne Airport
• Declare all the items like medicine, money, food items
• Do not bring any food items made with milk products
• For more information visit http://www.smartraveller.gov.au
• Medicare
• Find the nearest medicare office from http://humanservices.findnearest.com.au/
• If you're coming with partner/wife/children, all needs to be present the medicare office when it is for the first time.
• You need to take all the passports/ VISA documents when you first visit the medicare office.
• Tax File Number
• Tax file number is a must thing if you having income in Australia and you can apply online for that using http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.aspx?doc=/content/38760.htm
• Your TFN is an important part of establishing your identity when you start a new job, open bank accounts and apply for government benefits.
• Mobile Phone
• There are several mobile phone providers in Australia which is listed on http://youcompare.com.au/mobilephones/providers
• But if you need a better connection you have to go for Telstra.
• By the way most of the places they are asking for 3 month salary slip for post paid, So for a newcomer it is little bit difficult to get a postpaid  package. So you can go for a prepaid one(needs to have a passport and VISA document with you) later change it to post paid with the same number. But the pre paid charges are little higher that post paid.
• If you need to buy a post paid package with mobile phone JUST find a doggy communication :).
• Bank Account
• There are 4 major banks in Australia
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ)
• Westpac Banking Corporation
• National Australia Bank Limited
• Please take your passport/ VISA, tax file number,mobile number when you first visit the bank.
• Make sure you deposit some money and get a bank statement to you name and address. It will be useful when getting a driving licence.
• Do not keep the cash in hand with you and it is safer to put them in the Bank.
• Center Link
• If you having children you're eligible to centrelink benefits. Check it with your nearest centrelink office at http://humanservices.findnearest.com.au/.
• When you visit the centrelink office you may have to spend few hours with expecting someone will answer your phone call.
• You need to have a CRN number to make a claim from centrelink. For that you can do it from the nearest office or can do it online.https://www.centrelink.gov.au/wps/portal/clk_common/CROSS
• To make a claim you need to have medicare card, tax file number, bank account and phone number with you.
• Driving Licence
• If you have a overseas driving licence older than 4 years you can get the full Australian driving licence and you need to do the final test within 6 months of your first arrival.
• To get the full licence you need to pass 2 computer based tests and one 45 minutes drive test on the road.
• Rules for the full Australian DR can change, so better to get the latest information from state eg: VICRoads (www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/) for victoria
• Read all the rules of driving before you go to the final driving test from http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/3111267D-48FA-4D01-928F-8DA70173B936/0/DriveTestCriteria.pdf