Written by Charlotte Penhall
As someone who has recently gone through the process of getting a rental and is currently in a rental property, let me tell you, it definitely wasn’t easy.
However, there are some things you need to know and remember about renting as a uni student before you start that might make your life a little easier.
- You may struggle with previous rental history if you lived in the University Residence
Charles Sturt University’s residence only give you a piece of paper at the end of the year saying that you lived there and paid a certain amount.
It is often not enough when making an application.
Make sure you save your invoices from the university when you do pay your rent as this will become your rental ledger and can help. - Make sure you have some bigger bills in your name
As a uni student, you may not have that many, if any at all, bigger bills in your name.
These bigger bills are things like your phone bill and car registration. This shows the real estate agency and landlord that you are able to pay these larger amounts of money on a regular basis.
If you don’t have these bills in your name but still pay for it, make sure you can show screenshots of the money coming out of your account to match up with the invoices. - Have money in a savings account
If you already have a good amount of money in a savings account, this is going to make your life a little bit easier when finding a rental.
This is it shows the real estate agency and landlord that even if you aren’t working as much, or not at all, for a period of time, you can still pay rent on time.
If you don’t have a savings account set up yet, I recommend setting one up and putting money in it regularly. - You may have to set up your utilities
When looking at rentals, you may find that some can include utilities like water and electricity.
However, a lot, if not most, will not include them, and this means you will have to set them up yourself.
With electricity, I looked online to see who had the cheapest rates and got them to ring me back about signing up.
Make sure you get this done at least a week or two in advance so you know that you have power when you get the keys to your rental.
With the water bill, you do not want to accidentally forget to pay this and have your water cut off mid shower.
With internet, since both my housemate and I were already with Telstra, we decided to also get our internet through them.
Shop around and see if there are any deals currently on.
- You probably won’t have a rental full of furniture straight away
If you are financially independent from your parents like I am, there is a good chance you don’t have a lot of money to go out and buy brand-new furniture for your rental.
I lucked out and was able to get a few major appliances from family for much cheaper than brand new items.
Make sure you get your necessities first, like a fridge for cold items and a mattress, and don’t be afraid to get items second-hand.
A final note from Charlotte
Now, this is only a very short list of things that you need to know and remember about renting as a uni student.
There are a lot of other things you will need to know. So don’t be afraid to ask the people around you questions, even if they seem like they are silly.
Moving into a rental can be scary, but is so rewarding when you do get one.
Good luck searching!
