# rental housing for new immigrants??



## Mazdiar

Are there companies or people who specialise in helping new immigrants look for and rent suitable accommodation? If so I would definitely like to hear from them or get their reference if possible. 

There a lot of people from India who migrate to Australia without any kind of support there and may find it hard to find suitable accommodation and may rush in to something inappropriate.

I remember when I was a new migrant many years ago, I had family there that was helping and guiding me and I could stay with them for as long as it took to find a suitable unit. But not many people may have that kind of support. Besides I found it really hard as a new migrant to find rental accommodation as you did not have any prior rental history or references.


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## rebeccaf

*rentals*



Mazdiar said:


> Are there companies or people who specialise in helping new immigrants look for and rent suitable accommodation? If so I would definitely like to hear from them or get their reference if possible.
> 
> There a lot of people from India who migrate to Australia without any kind of support there and may find it hard to find suitable accommodation and may rush in to something inappropriate.
> 
> I remember when I was a new migrant many years ago, I had family there that was helping and guiding me and I could stay with them for as long as it took to find a suitable unit. But not many people may have that kind of support. Besides I found it really hard as a new migrant to find rental accommodation as you did not have any prior rental history or references.


HI, I'm not Indian but I came here with no references and not knowing anyone hardly, I looked at Gumtree and found rentals by owner. All I had was my bank statement showing my balance, I found a nice home with a great landlord. He gave me a 6 month lease, I think to find out how I would go. So I would suggest to people in this situation, find places that managed by the owner. Meet them and talk to them. When I saw the forms that real estate agencies had to get a rental, there was no way I could have gotten anything that way.


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## Mazdiar

Hi Rebecca,

So did you look at gumtree and start talking to home owners before you arrived in Australia or after? Till you got the rental place where were you put up?

Thanks,


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## rebeccaf

I came here on a tourist visa, and stayed at a hotel, bought a car, then looked on gumtree at every self-managed rental in the area I wanted. Then I moved in and lodged for pr. I stayed in a 'serviced hotel' till I found a house, really expensive, I stayed at the cheapest one I could find. I spent all day every day looking at houses till I found one.


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## rebeccaf

Ps, I had my teenage son with me, otherwise, on Gumtree, there are all kinds of ads, people renting rooms and flats to migrants and students, some specify, "suit Indians, or Indians preferred", so if I was in a situation like you describe, I would start emailing them, and meet them as soon as I got here. I think it would be pretty easy to find lodging in this way even if you knew no one.


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## Mazdiar

thanks for the info Rebecca. Good to have the perspective of someone who has done it first hand.


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