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Connecting YouWhere to Start - Renting
Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 April 2011 09:05
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Renting
If you want to rent out a place – whether that’s on your own, with a partner or friends or other flatmates – there are some extra costs and responsibilities involved. First off, you’ll need up to four weeks’ rent for bond, and up to two weeks’ rent in advance. So if you’re renting a property for $250 a week, you’ll need anything up to $1500 up front, before moving in.
That first move will normally involve buying lots of houseware stuff if you don’t already have it – things like pots and pans, a couch, TV, toaster, cutlery, kitchenware (microwave, sometimes a fridge, plates, bowls, knives, chopping boards), cleaning products like Jif and dishwashing liquid, floor cleaner, a mop, buckets, a broom. The list really does go on. Lots of these sound like small costs, but add up quickly when you’re buying them all together. Ask around family and friends before you go out shopping, as often people will have old (but still usable) appliances that they will be more than happy to get rid of!
Another consideration is that if you’ve signed the lease to a property and have people sub-letting (that is, you have flatmates who pay rent, but the place is in your name), then it’s your responsibility to make sure the rent gets paid every week. If people are moving out, you have to get replacement flatties, or foot the extra cost until you do. This can be stressful, especially on a tight budget.
Finding a rental
There are plenty of resources to help you find a flat, both online and through other media. You can start with your local paper, as well as going to real estate agents and asking for their rental lists.
Online you can look at:
Allrealestate
LJ Hooker
The Rent Shop (south AK only)
First national real estate
Barfoot & Thompson (AK only)
Finda Rental property
NZ Herald (AK only)
Flatfinder
MacPherson Real Estate (Southland only)