Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio
Richard's expertiseAnne-Marie Emerson was an associate editor at Finder. A former journalist and subeditor, she has worked for some of New Zealand's largest daily newspapers, including NZ Herald, Stuff.co.nz, Manawatu Standard and Whanganui Chronicle. Anne-Marie has a Bachelor of Arts and a Postgrad Diploma in Journalism, both from Massey University, a Certificate in Advanced Proofreading from the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders and a Certificate in Advanced Copyediting from the Editorial Freelancers Association. Anne-Marie is an incurable word nerd and is more competitive than she should be at Scrabble. See full bio
' > Anne-Marie Emerson Navigate Home Loans In this guideThe rental market in most of Australia’s capitals can be incredibly competitive. And tenancy laws often favour the landlord over the renter. Our renters’ page contains a list of handy guides and tips to help renters with important steps like submitting an application for a rental property, knowing your rights as a tenant and how to eventually become a home owner yourself.
Renters in the private market usually need to submit an application and get approval from the agent or landlord. It's not that different from a job application in some ways. If you're looking to rent in a competitive market (or even just a popular neighbourhood or very desirable property), putting your best foot forward in your application could make all the difference.
Some landlords and agents can be almost impossible to deal with. Knowing the rules on raising rent and what your landlord is legally able to do is the best way to protect yourself if things go wrong. If you need more information you can check out the tenancy advocacy union or service in your state or territory. These are voluntary services that provide legal advice and help to renters.
As hard as it can be, with saving, careful budgeting and clear planning it is possible to go from a renter to a home owner. You can read our suggestions in more detail via the link below, but in short:
In many states you may find it hard to find a rental property if you're bringing a pet with you. It's not impossible, of course. In Victoria your landlord can't "reasonably refuse" your request to have a pet on the property.
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Anne-Marie Emerson as part of our fact-checking process.
Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio
Richard's expertiseHow much should you spend on rent? What proportion of weekly income do Australians pay in rent? We've calculated those figures for every state.
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