Moving to Australia from New Zealand?
Get all information you need to make a successful and stress-free move across the ditch.
It’s tough landing in a new country without somewhere to go from the airport, especially if you have a family. I get a lot of enquiries about where to stay when you first arrive before you can get a rental in Australia because it’s almost impossible to get one before you leave New Zealand.
The Australian rental market is quite similar to NZ but Australia is so much bigger, so it’s more competitive than New Zealand for both renting and buying.
Like New Zealand, there are positives and negatives to each city and each suburb and it is important to do research before you leave New Zealand, especially before you make any fixed arrangements.
Are you a New Zealander wanting to buy a house in Australia? There are some restrictions for foreigners wanting to buy property in Australia, depending on your visa and residence status.
Find advice on how you can buy your dream home in Australia and some smart tips to avoid paying more than you need to in fees and charges in my buying a house in Australia post.
What you will find in this post:
It is highly recommended to give yourself some time to find which city and then suburb suits you and your family best before you buy or rent any real estate in Australia and sign into a fixed-term agreement, which most leases are.
Editor’s Note: I recommend living in short term accommodation when you first move to Australia. A lot of the apartments and Motels will give you a good rate for a fixed time, e.g. five weeks or three months. Australian suburbs are a lot bigger than NZ, the distance is quite deceiving on a map.
When we first moved to Australia we moved to the Gold Coast. After moving from Broadbeach to Surfers Central, then to Main Beach, we finally decided that Brisbane would be better for work and us, so we moved up there. Lucky we had family to stay with for three months while we got to know Brisbane.
We ended up living in Bulimba, which had everything we were looking for. The only way we found out about Bulimba was from a Taxi driver after we had been there for six weeks. TALK TO EVERYONE and find out from people who have lived in the city the pros and cons of the different suburbs. It helps to know what type of suburb you like to live in and to give yourself time to do the research.
Researching cities and suburbs is quite easy and fun in our modern age. There are a lot of posts like this, with someone’s opinion and an outline of their research. Believe me, we read a lot of articles/posts when writing content. My key search terms when looking for a rental in Australia would be the best places to live in Australia (quite general short info), best suburbs to live in ‘city‘ (make sure that it’s current by the date), up and coming suburbs in ‘Brisbane‘.
Have a read of my which city to move to in Australia post to find out general information about the city, pros and cons, the population, climate, transport, economy, and top draw cards to the area.
While you are still deciding which Australian suburb you want to live in and waiting for your furniture to arrive, here are a few short-term living options.
The best and cheapest option, as not only will you get cheaper board you will also be able to discuss different suburbs with them as you are exploring.
Next cheapest is Airbnb! This wasn’t around when we moved, but I wish it was. There are so many renting options. It allows people to lease or rent short-term lodging including holiday cottages, apartments, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms at great rates: https://www.airbnb.com.au/.
Most short-term Australian rental accommodations will give a special rate for a fixed-term stay of five weeks or more. You will need to contact each place directly (Google search) but the rate will end up close to what renting will be without having to sign into anything long-term. This will give you time to explore your new city and its suburbs.
On Craigslist you can find a lot of different housing options including apartments/housing, housing swap, housing wanted, office/commercial, parking/storage, real estate for sale, rooms/shared, sublets/temporary and vacation rentals.
The Craiglist listings cover Australian cities including Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney, Tasmania and Wollongong.
Australia has heaps of good websites for people looking for a flat/flatmate if you are a single wanting a room to rent, rather than a rental to yourself.
Here is a list of all the websites that have flatmate listings:
The Australian rental market is very competitive, especially in the main cities. Most Australian rentals will require you to submit a tenancy application, accompanied by the following documents.
I recommend preparing the below before you leave NZ and having it ready to go:
I get a number of comments from New Zealanders who have owned their home for so long they don’t have any written reference letters from landlords.
The importance of good references from prior landlords, real estate agents and property managers is to prove you’ll be a reliable tenant, that you’ll pay your rent on time and that you’ll treat the property as if it were your own.
You need to state/prove that you are a trustworthy person in another way. As an alternative, you can get character references from the former:
This post has some useful tips for the Australian rental market: https://www.finder.com.au/tips-for-a-successful-rental-application.
Most real estate agencies will require potential tenants to include at least 100 points of ID. To collect these points there are multiple documents that have a value that can add up to 100 points. The most commonly used documents are a passport (50 points), driver’s licence (40 points) and bank statement (20 points).
Below lists the type of documents and their points value. Before you gather the documents make sure you check with the property manager as to their criteria because this may vary for different agencies. If you have in possession the application form then it should be clearly outlined the acceptable documents.
| Documents required for 100 points identification check | Per Doc |
| Passport | 50 points |
| Drivers Licence | 40 points |
| Photo ID (e.g. 18 plus card) | 40 points |
| Bank Statement | 20 points |
| Birth Certificate | 20 points |
| Utility Bills with Current Address | 20 points |
| Current Tenant Rent ledger | 20 points |
| Current Vehicle registration | 20 points |
| Centrelink Statement | 20 points |
| Last 2 Rent Receipts | 20 points |
| Medicare Card | 10 points |
| Written rental reference. | 10 points |
All the best properties are snapped up quickly, so there isn’t much point in seriously looking and applying until you are two weeks away from being ready to move in.
However, I always like to do my research and get to know the areas in the city in moving to. The more expensive the area, the more desirable it is and properly lovely to live in. There are always up-and-coming areas, which are cheaper.
Houses and apartments come furnished or unfurnished and are generally for a fixed term of six months but more likely a year. You should be able to extend a rental without any issues.
The best place to look for rentals is on the Internet… Isn’t that what we do in NZ on Trade Me and Realestate.co.nz? Below are the top rental websites:
Editor’s Note: We didn’t have all the documentation ready when we first started applying for rentals and we missed out on a couple. Once we got reference letters from our previous landlords and proof that we were great tenants, we applied for four places and got the option of two.
We found realestate.com.au was the best website, as it had all the major listings in one place. And remember, the rental market is very competitive, sell yourself as a good tenant.
Connecting utilities in Australia is not as simple as in New Zealand because all the utility companies want paperwork/documentation, e.g. proof of address, 3 months’ bank statements, and driver’s licence and you will not have what they want if you have just moved to Australia.
However, if you use a third-party promotion company you’ll get all your utilities connection for you, at the best price, with one phone call! They don’t require proof of address or three months’ bank statements and will arrange all your connections with one phone call. They offer all current specials run by suppliers, which are normally the cheapest and/or best deal you would get if you were to do all the research yourself, from all suppliers… what I did first!
Read my New Utility Connection Service post.
It is normal for landlords to request between 2-4 weeks’ rent as a bond and 2-4 weeks’ rent in advance. This means that you will need to be prepared to front up with somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks’ rent before moving into your new place. Your bond with be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) and returned to you minus the cost of any damages when you leave.
There are things you need to know about in the Australian property market that are different to New Zealand. Like stamp duty, FHOG, capital gains, tax obligations on overseas assets, etc.
As a NZ citizen, you are able to buy property in Australia and everything works the same as if you were an Australian citizen buying property in Australia.
However, if you are not a NZ citizen there are some restrictions for foreigners wanting to buy property in Australia, depending on your visa and residence status.
Read my buying a house in Australia post for some advice on how you can buy your dream home in Australia and some smart tips to avoid paying more than you need to in fees and charges.
The below posts might interest you:
If you’ve read the above content and the answer to your question isn’t there, please write a comment below and I’ll research the answer for you. Please note, if the answer to your question is in the content above, I will not reply. Sorry, I just get too many questions these days and I can’t keep up.
If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 30 seconds, so give it a go!
Hi… I’m JJ Smith.
I’m the creator and editor of Moving to Australia and have been for 15 years! I know everything there is to know about New Zealanders moving their families and life to Australia. Either from first hand experiences and research or through the questions from visitors to this website… and I’m here to help!
I love helping people via Moving to Australia.
Providing the answers to questions we all ask when deciding whether to make the move from New Zealand to Australia. Even giving individual specific advice where needed.
I have learned a lot over the last 15 years from personal experience and through interacting with visitors. This is my job, making sure the information here is comprehensive and up to date.
If you would like to help me, you can use one of my referral partners.
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Andre
March 7, 2023 at 2:52 pmGood day
Wonder if you could direct me in the right direction. We will be arriving in Perth on the 15th of April. And we have secured a rental, but the landlord said water and power are for our own account, so I was wondering how I go about getting those connected, or getting an account set up with companies that supply it before we arrive to ensure we at least have power and water?
Hope you can assist.
Regards
JJ Smith
March 7, 2023 at 3:59 pmHi Andre,
Thank you for your message.
I’m so glad you reached out, as this is quite an issue if left too late because you won’t have all the paperwork each company needs when trying to set up accounts in a country you have just moved to.
When I moved over I did all my research into what were the best deals and companies. When I approached these companies they told me they couldn’t open an account for me because I didn’t have the right paperwork.
I recommend using the form on MyConnect.com.au to connect your utilities. They have really good reviews with 4.6 from 485 reviews.
In how did you hear about us, can you please put Moving to Australia?
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Nicole
March 25, 2022 at 2:45 amHi there,
Can my children go to the public school if we go rent an apartment in the school’s catchment zoning? Should I enroll them to a school after I move to Sydney with a local address or I can enroll before departure?
Can they start schooling anytime when arrival?
Thank you
JJ Smith
March 31, 2022 at 1:30 amHi Nicole,
Thank you for your comment.
Yes you should be able to enroll your children in an Australia government school for free if you are in their catchment area.
However, availability depends on the school, just like it does in NZ, and I recommend you make contact with the school in the area you plan on moving asap.
You should be able to enroll them before moving and they should be able to start anytime throughout the year.
Have you read my schools in Australia post? Here it is: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/schools-in-australia/.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Ange
March 12, 2022 at 11:37 amHi JJ!
My family and I are relocating to QLD once our house sells in NZ. We will be looking for a rental for 12 months while we decide on where to buy.
I have emailed a few agents about how best to secure a property while still in NZ (we would prefer not to bunk with family as our kids are still young) but have had no reply.
What is your advice here, if any? We have family that are happy to view the property for us.
Also we do not have any landlord references as we own in NZ, and have done for years. How would we approach this?
Thanks!
JJ Smith
March 14, 2022 at 12:25 amHi Ange,
Thanks for your comment.
It isn’t easy to secure a rental from NZ, as the rental market is quite competitive. There are always multiple offers on the best places.
Firstly, you need to get all your paperwork ready. If a rental company can prove you are a trustworthy, reliable tenant then you may have a chance.
You will need to get character references, both professional and personal. These will need to cover the fact that you don’t have any references from landlords. If you can prove your mortgage was always paid on time that would help. Think outside the box at what would make you stand out over other potential renters, e.g. I volunteer at my kids school, so a letter from the principle would help me.
Rentals usually list with a two weeks move date, so you can’t start applying until you are booked to go.
If you aren’t able to secure a rental before you leave, you can get an AirBnB or negotiate a fixed term rental with a apartment/motel for a month, which would give you time to find a rental.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
CJ
March 6, 2022 at 1:34 amHi JJ, in regards to the 100 point proof of ID, it states photo ID. Are the NZ driver’s license and passport sufficient photo ID or is it an actual ID photo certified by a JP or Police?
JJ Smith
March 7, 2022 at 12:11 amHi CJ,
Thanks for your comment.
Yes a passport and drivers licence is enough photo ID. The photo ID option is for those who don’t have a drivers licence or passport.
For the 100 points you need documents that will add up to 100, e.g.
– Passport 50
– Drivers licence 40
– Bank statement 20
– Total = 110 points.
I have added ‘Photo ID (e.g. 18 plus card)’, which is hopefully help other visitors to that page.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Jess
August 10, 2021 at 7:39 pmWe are looking at moving from wellington to brisbane around Dec 2021. Few queries.
Do NZ credit history / scores reflect or travel with us to AUS?
Do rental agencys etc run credit reports and if so where do they get this info from if your new to AUS?
Is zoning or getting schooling sorted hard – more worried about first year college? How much time in advance do you think this would take to enrol – starting fresh year (jan)?
Loving the info on your site – Thanks
JJ Smith
August 16, 2021 at 1:41 amHi Jess,
Thanks for your comment.
Regarding credit ratings travelling with you Australia, it appears to be a bit of luck when it comes to bad credit ratings. Some people get away with it and some people don’t after they move to Australia.
Your credit file is maintained by the same entity either side of the Tasman- Veda Advantage (previously Baycorp Advantage/ Baynet).
A ‘good’ credit rating means that firstly you have one (have applied for credit at some stage in the past), and that nothing ‘bad’ has happened on it. Therefore, after you have moved make sure you get some good credit rating before you apply for anything major. This is easy with online shopping through Afterpay, used in both NZ and Australia.
For your rental application, I recommend getting as much positive documentation as possible, e.g. old tenancy references, proof of receiving full bond back, character references from people you have worked or lived with to include in your application, bank statements that show money in the bank, etc.
It shouldn’t be hard to get into your local government college. Make sure get all the paperwork you need from your school before you leave. Do you know which suburb you’re moving to? The sooner you apply the better.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Ben
May 12, 2021 at 3:58 amHi, thank you for all your advice, I was wanting to know where to find information on rates on property can’t really find clear information ? are they similar to NZ or completely different? thank you
JJ Smith
May 13, 2021 at 1:30 amHi Ben,
I find Budget Direct a really good website for costs of living comparisons for NZ and Australia, which includes rental costs: https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/interactives/costofliving/compare/auckland-vs-sydney/.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have
Lynda
July 4, 2020 at 7:57 amHi,
You’ve a great site here, thank you for all your information and insights. I’m wanting to move once the borders reopen to either Queensland or NSW. What documentation would you suggest I provide to support property rental? I’ve never rented a house only owned my own home. Will this mean I’m unlikely to get a rental property?
JJ Smith
October 14, 2020 at 10:52 pmHi Lynda,
Thank you for your comment and sorry for the delay in replying.
I recommend you get some character references from people you work with or have lived with to include in your application.
Make sure you add that being a home owner is a positive, as you respect homes and will treat it as your own… etc.
Ask an employer if they would mind being a reference for you.
Make sure you have all your paper work sorted before you leave.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move, when you can move.
Samantha Katipa
December 28, 2019 at 4:34 amVery informative site thanks! Question (not really housing related) Kiwi born nz citizen.I formerly lived single in australia from 2005-2010 had utility and water in my name left with a good name. I am now returning in July 2020 will my name still be good to use there? to set up utilities etc? or would i need to start all over again? it will be 10years 3 months when i return. Thanks!
JJ Smith
February 4, 2020 at 11:45 pmHi Samantha,
Thank you for your comment.
Your credit rating (or credit score) is based on the information shown in your credit report at a given time, and according to consumer credit reporting agency Equifax, information can typically stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
Equifax gives the following time frames for different kinds of information:
Two years:
– Repayment history information
Five years:
– Any credit enquiry
– Overdue accounts listed as a payment default
– Overdue accounts listed as clearouts (where you can’t be contacted, a lender can immediately list the debt as a clearout and does not need to wait 60 days)
– Writs and summons
– Court judgments
Seven years:
– Overdue accounts listed as a serious credit infringement
Unfortunately there isn’t a lot of info on the internet about positive credit rating and mainly about bad credit ratings.
You might find On The Move helpful when you move. They helped me setup my utilities when I first moved to Australia and didn’t have all the paper work to go direct to different providers. They also have all the best deals the different providers are currently offering, so you don’t have to waste your time shopping around. Read this post: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/new-utility-connection-service/.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Shivy
November 19, 2019 at 1:16 amLove your website JJ very helpful. Just wanting to know if you think its best i look for a property to rent before we arrive in sydney. My partner will be there a month before us working but i cant trust him to focus on getting a house lol
JJ Smith
November 19, 2019 at 1:17 amHi Shivy,
Thanks for your comment.
It depends on the short term accommodation you have managed to arrange. If you can wait until you get there then I would say that is your preferred option.
Rentals are normally listed two weeks before available and the great rentals get snapped up quickly. Here is the best home rental site in Australia: https://www.realestate.com.au/rent/.
I recommend you start looking asap so you get to know your rental market and if you see the perfect rental then you can always send your husband to handover the paperwork and make a good impression.
Get your paperwork together and make sure your husband has it ready incase you find something. You would have read above what you need in the Real Estate Australia post.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.