So you’ve landed a new job - congratulations! There’s just one catch; the new position has come with a new city as well.
Fortunately, you don’t have to uproot your whole life to it work for you. You can be one of the many Kiwis who ‘remote rent’ - the people who spend their Monday to Friday working in another city, in a place easy to lock up and leave, so they can return home on the weekend to enjoy time with their family.
Your priorities as a remote renter are likely to be different from the regular renting experience, and it’s probably been a while since you last rented. We’ve pulled together some tips to help you get underway with finding a rental that suits your lifestyle in a new city.
When you’re remote renting, you have to change your mindset to think more practically. Ask yourself:
It’s best to think about the rental as a place to rest and relax rather than a more permanent home. This will help you narrow your search.
While every property manager and agency will have their own set of requirements, the rental application process will at least ask for the following:
You may also be asked about your rental history, contact details and a credit/police check. The specifics of these can usually be found on the property management company’s website.
Nervous about your lack of recent rental history? Don’t be! Simply explain your situation and it usually won’t be an issue, you may just get asked for a few more details.
A key challenge for remote renters is being efficient with rental viewings. Success here relies on the amount of research you do. There’s a fair amount of research you can do online, so you can make the most of your time when you do travel for viewings.
When searching, be sure to consider the following criteria:
Filter your searches using these criteria and only consider properties that fit the bill. This will help you research properties efficiently.
If you have any questions about the property, you can usually find answers in the listing, but property managers are usually happy to chat with you by email or phone.
Starting to find great rentals? Don’t forget to save your searches so you can easily come back to them. Manage your shortlist here.
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to head to the city to check out the property and introduce yourself to the property manager. Take your time walking around and assessing the features you looked into online, like the following:
Be sure to ask lots of questions, even if you know the answer, to get the property manager’s opinion. If you’re not sure what kind of questions to ask, check out our free checklist. These questions can spark conversation that’ll make you stand out from the crowd.
Remote renters tend to make excellent tenants because of their financial security and their own experiences as a homeowner. However, the rental market is still competitive and to be considered as a tenant, you need to put your best foot forward.
At the viewing, avoid inappropriate comments and be as positive as you can - you can still ask hard questions, but be diplomatic about it. Remember, you are renting, not buying the property!
Now it’s time to find a suitable rental property and the thousands of listings on realestate.co.nz make it the perfect place to get started.