In Australia, rents for property can be negotiated between the prospective tenant and the landlord. This applies in all states and all allow tenants and landlords to have rent changes assessed by a tribunal, although in Tasmania this is overseen by a magistrate. The tribunal and magistrate will assess rents on similar properties in the area as well as the general state of the property. No state will allow the increase of the rent before the end of the first year’s tenancy. The regulations in the Capital Territory will not allow the rent to be increased more than once a year and in most states the rent cannot be increased more than every six months. Some states will require the landlord to give the tenant at least 60 days notice before they permit them to have a rent increase. Eight weeks notice is required in the Capital Territory while the Northern Territory has a notice period of just 30 days.

All tenants moving into a new property need to pay a deposit. This normally consists of a bond and one month’s rent in advance. The bond is a security deposit which will help the landlord in the event that the tenant does not pay rent or causes any damage to the property. If you are renting in New South Wales then the maximum advance rent you are permitted to pay at the beginning is 2 weeks but only if the rent is less than $300 each week. If the rent is more than that you need to pay the 4 weeks rent in advance. The bond that is paid is lodged with the local government office which deals with property rentals. Most states set the maximum bond at four weeks rent.

There are two different types of rental contract for properties in Australia. The first is a fixed term tenancy which specifies the period of rental. A periodic tenancy will work on a week to week or month to month basis. A tenancy can be ended by the landlord who needs to give notice in writing to the tenant but a periodic tenancy can be ended by giving notice to the local tribunal. Notice periods will vary from state to state. In Queensland and New South Wales the notice period required is a minimum of 14 days. In the state of Victoria this is a minimum of 90 days. Some states do not have a set minimum notice period but it is essential that the landlord and tenant make the effort to come to a mutual agreement when one party wants to end the contract.

If a fixed term tenancy comes to an end but the tenant does not leave, then the arrangement is automatically switched to a periodic tenancy, unless you are living in New South Wales where a contract with the same terms and conditions will be put into place. If a landlord needs to evict a tenant this is a legal procedure which could take up to 44 days from the serving of the notice to the decision by the courts and the removal of the tenant from the property. In most states the tenancy tribunal system can serve a notice of eviction.

Each state has a residential tenancy act which helps to oversee the issues that both tenants and landlords may face. Some states have had no change in their rental laws in recent years and changes that have been taking place are usually connected to rents. Many states have added to their legislation by specifying how long a tenant should wait before their security bond is refunded and other details. Each rental office in each state has guides and useful information available to those who want to rent property in the area.

Most short term rental properties are small, no more than 2 bedrooms and are normally fully furnished. In some areas rents are higher during peak holiday periods, particularly if the contract is a periodic rental. If you are renting an apartment you can expect to have a number of facilities included such as a parking space. Average rents on short term rentals start from $200 per week. On this type of contract you may find that some utilities such as electricity are included.

Long term rentals are normally unfurnished and tend to be larger family homes. A minimum contract here is normally 3 months long. Houses start at around $300 per week and this will not include any utilities. There are usually more long term rental houses around than short term rentals.