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.
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 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, FHSSS, 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.
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.
© 2008 - 2023 Copyright Cybersmith Ltd. All content is copyright.
Design by ThemeShift.
Alvin
October 16, 2019 at 11:24 pmHi JJ,
It’s nice to have someone who offer an arm length to help,
JJ, my family and I (with 2x Child under 10 years) are going to settle in Melbourne in early January 2020. We have friends and family there, however we would like to try to settle and take the challenge as it comes first before asking around for favors.
First question, which i like to ask is: as soon as we arrive in Tullamarine, we do not have a place to stay. I understand to rent a property, the property agent would require regular income? How best to hire a temporary accommodation for a young family (2 adults & 2 kids)? How much on average is a fully furnished apartment/units in around Central Melbourne going to cost? Is Air BnB would work out cheaper than fully furnished apartment/unit for short term rental until we can secure employment then to rent a property?
Thought that my first question, would be anticipating for your response
Thanking you Kindly in advance, JJ
JJ Smith
October 16, 2019 at 11:27 pmHi Alvin,
Thanks for your comment.
The Australian rental market is competitive so it is best to have a regular income or a lot saved.
You can get an AirBnB from $103-$253 per night, so approx $1000 per week (https://www.airbnb.co.nz).
I have not had to find temporary accommodation in Melbourne. On the Gold Coast we approached a few motels/apartment blocks and negotiated a good weekly rate of $500. Therefore I recommend you do the same for Melbourne.
The average monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in expensive area of Melbourne is AU$1,861 and AU$1,356 in a normal area (https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/melbourne).
The below links will give you a good span of what is available (GumTree is NZ’s Trade Me):
– https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-short-term/melbourne/c18295l3001317
– https://www.shortstay.com.au/
– https://australia.trovit.com/property/for-rent-short-term-melbourne
– https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/live/housing-and-property/temporary-accommodation
– https://www.trivago.co.nz/melbourne-44314/hotel/melbourne-short-stay-apartments-153051
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Nicky Smith
January 28, 2019 at 4:00 amHi JJ,
Fantastic website. We are looking at moving to Perth. Quick question;
Can we use our kiwisaver as a deposit for buying a house?
Cheers Nicky
JJ Smith
January 29, 2019 at 12:29 amHi Nicky,
Thank you for your comment.
I have done some research and discovered that you may be able to use your Kiwisaver to buy your first home in Australia. Please read this article: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11293335.
It explains that first-home withdrawal applications have been approved for purchasing properties in Australia, since it appears such purchases are not prohibited by relevant legislation.
You will need to meet the standard first-home withdrawal criteria and provide all of the necessary documents (for example, sale and purchase agreement) and ensure your solicitor is New Zealand licensed.
In the middle of last year legislation came into effect that allowed New Zealanders moving permanently to Australia to take all their KiwiSaver funds with them and combine those savings with their Australian superannuation savings.
However, it’s not compulsory for Australian providers to accept KiwiSaver funds and in practice only a handful of smaller players are doing so at this stage.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Aman
February 6, 2019 at 12:48 amGreat website, Lot of useful information, My question is if I own a property in NZ, Sell it and move to Oz. Can I be eligible for First home grant or concession in Australia or not if I own house in nz.
JJ Smith
March 20, 2019 at 9:59 pmHi Aman,
Sorry for the delay in replaying. For some strange reason your enquiry wasn’t emailed to me.
The good news is yes you will be eligible for the Australian First Home Buyers Grant because you haven’t owned a property in Australia!
This article goes through the different amounts you get in the different states: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/are-new-zealand-citizens-eligible-for-australias-first-home-owners-grant/.
You will want to make sure you also read the below article on foreign exchange. As you will be moving a lot of moving to Australia from NZ, you will want to make sure you get the best rate with no fees. XE or OFX will save you thousands: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/foreign-exchange-money-transfer/.
Good luck with your move.
Jim
October 23, 2018 at 7:14 amHi JJ
You have a great website, really informative.
We are looking to relocate to Gold Coast to be closer to family. Currently looking at the pros and cons for this. We are looking at buying an existing home and will be freehold. My son advised there is no stamp duty charged on your first home in the Gold Coast, even if you have previously owned homes in NZ, is this correct?
Cheers
Heather
JJ Smith
October 28, 2018 at 10:58 pmHi Heather,
Thank you for your comment.
There a few different Government grants regarding buying your first home in Australia. The first home buyer grant, which doesn’t take into account homes you’ve owned outside NZ and the first home concession, which does.
The first home buyers grant is only for new homes. Buying a new home, having a new home built or building your own home. Depending on the date of your contract, you’ll get $15,000 towards buying or building your new house, unit or townhouse (valued at less than $750,000). You can find more information here: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/are-new-zealand-citizens-eligible-for-australias-first-home-owners-grant/.
I’ve researched the stamp duty but I cannot find any information that says you will not get charged stamp duty on your first home in QLD. You could get a First Home Concession, but only if you haven’t ever owned a home anywhere in the world.
The below info is backed up on multiple sites. The below is from: https://stampduty.calculatorsaustralia.com.au/stamp-duty-qld.
Stamp Duty QLD
All dutiable transactions of property or land (including gifts) attract stamp duty in Queensland. Unless an exemptions or concession applies, the transaction is charged with duty based on the greater of the market value of the property, or the consideration (price paid) – including any GST.
Who is liable to pay stamp duty?
All parties to a transaction are liable to pay transfer duty. In most cases, this duty is paid by the purchaser.
When is stamp duty payable in QLD?
In Queensland you must pay stamp duty within 30 days after the liability arises to pay transfer duty on the transaction.
Stamp Duty QLD – exemptions and concessions
There are three major exemptions and concession from duty available in QLD – first home concession, first home vacant land and recently re-introduced home concession.
First Home Concession
Currently, a concession is available for the transfer, or agreement for the transfer, of a person’s first home (first home concession). A $8,750 stamp duty concession applies for homes up to $505,000, and a phasing-out rebate applies for values up to $550,000. To qualify, the person must never have previously held an interest in another residence and must satisfy occupancy requirements:
– you have never owned property anywhere in the world before; and
– you intend to move into the property within 12 months of settlement; and
– the property will be your principal place of residence for a minimum of 12 consecutive months after you move in; and
– you will not enter into a new lease of the property prior to moving into it.
Something you should definitely do is make sure you get the most from your foreign exchange transfer by using either OFX or XE. To give you an idea of how much you could save, XE have done a recent comparison with three New Zealand major banks for a $1,200,000 NZD / AUD transfer. Depending on which bank you use, XE would have saved you between $9,070 and $25,870. Read this post: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/foreign-exchange-money-transfer/.
You also may be interested in the post if you haven’t read it already, which outlines the pros and cons of the Gold Coast and other major cities in Australia: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/which-city-to-move-to-in-australia/.
Good luck with your move.
Thanks,
JJ Smith
Riki
September 3, 2018 at 10:18 pmHi;
My husband and I have decided to sell our Auckland home to relocate (and buy a home) in Perth, for some reason real estate agents stop talking with me once they realize I reside in NZ. This has occurred on six different occasions, all different agents.
Are you able to shed some light on why that may be happening?
JJ Smith
September 3, 2018 at 11:59 pmHi Riki,
Thank you for your comment.
I think this would be because of the enquiries they get from NZ that never happen and to buy a property in Australia you have to physically be in Australia for the sale and have the funds available in OZ.
Have you visited Perth recently? You will need to find a real estate agent that knows your serious about the move and that your financially able to make it happen. This would be easiest to do in person. Or do you know someone who lives there that can help you?
Firstly, I recommend you setup a bank account in Australia (https://www.commbank.com.au/personal/can/moving-to-australia/setting-up-your-banking.html?agentid=MAP127&ocid=mfs-MAP127) and setup a FX account with either XE or OFX, both great companies (https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/foreign-exchange-money-transfer/). The FX company will save you a lot of money compared to transferring through your bank.
Hope the above helps. Please feel free to ask further questions.
Json
August 20, 2018 at 9:39 amGreat article. Thanks for the sharing. But if you want to find a house to buy or rent in Australia, ADSCT help you to get it quickly and easily. For more check out ===> https://www.adsct.com.au/real-estate
Oluka
January 2, 2018 at 9:07 amHi,
First of all, this web site is doing a great job. Thanks for maintaining that.
We are planing to move to Melbourne on March 2018. Is it ok to get a reference letter from NZ landlord or agent to show in Melbourne or it’s going to be a AU reference specifically? Appreciate your advise.
JJ Smith
January 4, 2018 at 9:06 pmHi Oluka,
Thank you for your enquiry and compliment.
A landlord or agent reference from NZ is as good as an Australia one. However, the rental market is very competitive in Australia and I recommend getting two or three if possible.
We found that the more paperwork we had the better when looking for a rental. In most instances you’ll need references, the completed application form, pet references if applicable, pay slips or proof of employment, photo ID and a cover letter describing yourself and who will be occupying the home.
I recommend you setup a profile on 1 form. This will save you a lot of time: https://1form.com/au/tenant/application/returning/goto/L2F1L3RlbmFudC9kYXNoYm9hcmQvaW5kZXgvY2lkL2NpZCUzQXJlbnQlM0FsZWZ0JTNBaG9tZXBnJTNBMWZvcm0%3D.
This article is very good for first time renters in Australia: https://www.realestate.com.au/advice/8-tips-for-a-winning-rental-application/.
Good luck with your move.
Helen Williams
June 2, 2014 at 5:35 pmHi
My family and I are wanting to move over early next year. The only thing I’m worried about is not being able to move into a house right away. What are the average waiting times I would love to fly over and have a house within a week. Family and friends recommend moving in with them as the process could be long. Feeling confused
JJ Smith
June 4, 2014 at 8:36 amHi Helen,
Thank you for your enquiry.
Have you had a look on RealEstate.com. au for rentals? You will see that the average move in date is two weeks. You could get one shorter but your choices would be limited. The rental market is quite similar to NZ and not many houses are available immediately.
I recommend moving in with your friends as well. You do not want to rush the rental process and end up moving into something that is not really suitable because of time restraints. Most homes are generally for a fixed term of six months to a year. There is a lot of competition and the best properties are snapped up quickly.
Most Australian rentals will require you to submit a tenancy application, accompanied with the following documents, so it is best to have all the information ready to go (NZ is fine):
– Your last 3 months bank statements
– A written reference from your previous landlord
– Your previous landlord’s contact information
– Proof that your last bond was repaid in full (or an explanation as to why it wasn’t)
– Provide and attach photocopies of documents required to meet 100 points of identification (https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/Australia-real-estate/buying-renting-a-house-in-Australia)
Good luck with your move.
JJ Smith
July 3, 2013 at 5:26 amHi Eve,
Thank you for your comment.
Unfortunately I can not guarantee you anything, but logically if you have enough money in the bank to cover a years worth of rent, then I do not see a prospective rental management company or home owner having a problem with this, especially if you are looking for work.
Just make sure you have as much paper work as you can to show that you are a good tenant and person, and have print out’s of your bank statements to prove that you can cover the rent.
I would recommend setting up a bank account (https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/Commonwealth-Bank-Open-Australian-bank-Account) and transferring money into it (https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/nzforex-foreign-exchange.html), so that they do not have to go on what’s in an NZ bank account, as this might go against you.
Please let me know how you get on.
Nella
June 19, 2013 at 7:00 amHi there,
Firstly, this is such an amazing website that is so very informative and helpful. cuts down countless hours of research online about how it works in Australia. Thank you!Thank you! Thank you!
My question is, that my partner and i are looking at a 3bedroom home in Melbourne, now would we be rejected because we have no kids and its just the two of us?
JJ Smith
June 24, 2013 at 8:17 amHi Nella,
Thanks for your enquiry and positive feedback regarding the site.
The application process for renting a house is different from NZ. However, the landlords are after the same things – good tenants who are trustworthy, pay their rent on time and that will not wreck their property.
Personally I do not see any issue with only you and your partner moving into a three bedroom home, just communicate your reasoning and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Good luck with your move.
Anamia
March 25, 2013 at 5:05 pmHi there,
I’m currently in NZ and am looking at information I may need to take with me when I head to rent in Brisbane. I have been told that of a point system. Are you able to enlighten me a bit on this system please and what sort of information will be required to better my chances?
Thank you in advance:-)
JJ Smith
March 26, 2013 at 12:26 amHi Anamia,
Thank you for your comment. I had forgotten about the points system.
I have added the table into the content on our real estate page: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/Australia-real-estate/buying-renting-a-house-in-Australia.
Good luck with your move.
Kristy
March 7, 2013 at 2:52 pmHi there,
I’m just inquiring, If i were to Rent a place and I’ve never done it before. What other references will i need in order to Rent a place?
Sorry i know it may be a blond question but I’m just unsure what to do that’s all.
JJ Smith
March 12, 2013 at 3:10 amHi Kristy,
Thank you for your comment.
If you have not rented before all you can do is put together some character witness letters and a couple of referrals for the landlord to call.
If you don’t have a previous landlord the next best thing is a referral from an employer as they can determine whether or not you are reliable.
You can also review the questions on the below link, which are the most common questions a landlord will ask you: http://discover.realestate.com.au/buying/investing/top-10-questions-to-ask-tenants.
Good luck.
Lydia
February 12, 2013 at 2:07 amHi there,
What if you have been homeowners for the last 15 years, what references would they require in terms of rental properties in Melbourne?
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Lydia
JJ Smith
February 12, 2013 at 12:41 pmHi Lydia,
Thank you for your comment.
The best thing you can do is get together any documents that show you would be a good tenant, e.g. letter from neighbours, your bank manager regarding mortgage payments and character reference letters and contacts.
You should be able to get a property fine. The extra paper work is only taken into consideration when a property is in high demand.
Good Luck.
Frank
October 3, 2012 at 3:19 pmUsing equities in NZ properties to buy a house to live in Australia
Anybody tried this? Is there a way to use NZ equity in Australia? Cheers. Frank
JJ Smith
October 4, 2012 at 7:20 amGood morning Frank,
Thank you for your comment.
I will forward your question onto a representative at Commonwealth Bank and see if they would use the equity in a house in New Zealand to give you a mortgage in Australia.
I will get back to you when I get a response.
Kind Regards,
MTA Team
JJ Smith
November 8, 2012 at 7:22 amHi Frank,
I apologise for the delay in confirmation to you.
I have finally got an answer from Commonwealth and sadly any property based outside of Australia cannot be used as equity to secure a property within Australia.
Good luck with your move.
Kind Regards,
MTA Team
Charmayne
July 18, 2012 at 11:15 amHi there,
Me and my partner are moving to Wollongong end of the year and will be looking for a place to rent while we are there. Since we have 2 pets that we are bringing with us, we need a house/address before we move to Wollongong. Am wondering if anyone has any experience being able to rent a house BEFORE actually moving there i.e via emailing documents etc or is it only possible to gain a rental agreement in person.
Any help would be much appreciated thanks.
Kara
April 16, 2012 at 6:47 amHi,
First off, what a great sight, thanks :-)!
Secondly, my partner and I are looking to move to Newcastle and we own our own property in Auckland, as a result we won’t have any up-to-date rental references, do you think this will be a major hurdle for renting in NSW and if so, any ideas about what can we do to improve our chances? I was thinking about applying for a copy of my credit rating to take over so that they can see there’s not history of financial defaults/non-payment…any advice would be great.
Thanks
JJ Smith
April 16, 2012 at 9:49 amHi Kara,
I don’t think being a home owner will hurt your chances at all regarding the rental market, as it is a positive.
I think it is a good idea to take over a copy of your credit rating as it will help improve your chances.
My only advise is take anything you can think of that will show you off as a good tenant. There is no such thing as too much information. The company can determine if it is applicable.
If you are friendly with your neighbours, get them to write you a reference.
Hope this helps. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
Kind Regards,
MTA Team