Finding a house or flat to rent

Where to look:
  • The 'accommodation to let' section of the Manawatu Standard on Wednesday and Saturday
  • Trade me
  • Housing Advice Centre
  • A letting agency. They will charge you a fee, usually one week's rent plus GST.

Some Dos and Don'ts:

DO
  • Take a friend with you when dealing with landlords/agents so they can witness what was said in case a dispute arises
  • Make sure you get advice before signing a fixed-term tenancy
  • Avoid agreements where you rent a room in a house/flat and share bathroom and kitchen facilities with other tenants
  • Take some photos of the flat/house when you move in
  • Take some more photos when you have cleaned the flat/house before you move out.
DON'T
  • Hand over cash without getting a receipt showing the landlord/agent's name.


REMEMBER
Once you have signed a tenancy agreement you are committed