The Good Life - Melbourne

GMS Client Newsletter l Issue 1Migration Agents Registration Number 0428740

MELBOURNE

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Like the multicolored beach houses

lining the ocean nearby, Melbourne

is a diverse and multicultural city

and melting pot. Melbourne is the

capital and most populous city

in the state of Victoria, and also

the second most populous city in

Australia. A resident of Melbourne

is known as a “Melburnian”.

Almost a quarter of Victoria’s

population was born overseas, and

the city is home to residents from

233 countries, who speak over 180

languages and dialects and follow

116 religious faiths. Melbourne

has the second largest Asian

population in Australia (16.2%).

The irst European settlers in Melbourne were British and Irish.

These two groups accounted for

nearly all arrivals before the gold

rush, and supplied the predominant

number of immigrants to the city

until World War II.

Melbourne was transformed by

the 1850sgold rush; within months

of the discovery of gold in August

1852, the city’s population had

increased by nearly three-quarters,

from 25,000 to 40,000 inhabitants.

Thereafter, growth was exponential

and by 1865, Melbourne had

overtaken Sydney as Australia’s

most populous city.

Melbourne exceeds the national

average in terms of proportion of

residents born overseas: 34.8%

compared to a national average

of 23.1%. In concordance with

national data, Britain is the most

commonly reported overseas

country of birth, followed by

Italy, Greece, and then China.

Melbourne also features

substantial Vietnamese, Korean,

and Sri Lankan-born communities,

in addition to recent South African

and Sudanese inluxes.

Over two-thirds of people in

Melbourne speak only English at home (68.8 %). Italian is the

second most common home

language, with Greek third and

Chinese fourth, each with over

100,000 speakers.

A DIVERSECITYMELBOURNE:

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02

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NEW ZEALAND

09 New Zealand

10 Becoming Kiwi

11 LIVE WITH BENEFIT - Holiday Pay

Copyright @ July 2010Global Migration Solutions Sdn BhdAll rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited

SOME FUN THINGS

04 Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex 05 Federation Square

06 Melbourne Musuem

08 WHY MELBOURNE? - Proile of a Melbournian

ITS SCHOOL TIME!

12 The First Few Steps – Pre-School

13 Spreading Their Wings – Primary Education14 How To Find the Right School

15 VISA EXPLAINED - Child Visa ( Subclass 802 | Subclass 101 )

AT HOME IN MELBOURNE

17 Things to Do in Victoria, Temporary Lodging, Rooming House

18 Renting

0428740Migration Agents Registration Number

New Zealand Licensed Adviser 200800600

THINGSCrown Casino and Entertainment Complex

is a casino and entertainment

precinct on the south bank of

the Yarra River, in Melbourne.

The casino complex opened in

1997. Actress Rachel Griffiths

infamously ran through the casino

topless on its opening night.

It is one of the central features of

the Southbank area in the central

business district and the Crown

Promenade fronts onto the

waterfront as part of Southbank

Promenade. Children under 18 are

permitted into the entertainment

section of complex, but not into

the gaming area or areas serving

alcohol. It is open 24 hours a day, 7

days a week except on Christmas

Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day.

Crown Casino is the largest casino

in the southern hemisphere, has

a license for 350 table games and

2500 poker machines. Amongst

other games, Crown provides the

6 main casino games of Blackjack,

Craps, Pai Gow, Poker, Baccarat

and Roulette but it was also the first

to introduce an electronic version of

Roulette known as Rapid Roulette.

Rapid Roulette is essentially the

same as traditional roulette but

rather than players placing bets

on a layout, all gaming takes place

on a personal electronic touch

screen connected to a central

roulette wheel. The purpose of this

is to provide the player with easy

access to the entire betting layout.

Rapid Roulette has been in use

for several years, and recently

Rapid Bigwheel and Rapid Sic-bo

have been developed.

Crown casino has 2500 poker

machines on the casino floor, with

values of 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent, 10

cent, 20 Cent, 50 cent and 1 dollar

available. 2 Dollar machines are

availabel in the VIP area.

FUNSOME

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The Crown Entertainment Complex incorporates several nightclubs,

a Village Cinema complex and

multiple restaurants, fast food

outlets, food courts and shops.

The complex also houses “Galactic

Circus”, an electronic games

arcade, laser ‘tag’ game and

bowling alley. Notable features

of the casino include its entrance

(commonly known as the ‘Atrium’,

featuring stepped fountains and

sound/light shows under the

themes of the four seasons), and

pyrotechnic towers running the

length of the Casino promenade.

The Crown complex has two hotel

towers named “Crown Towers

Hotel and “Crown Promenade

Hotel”. The premium Crown

Towers Hotel operates within the

complex, located on the banks of

the Yarra River overlooking the city

centre, Kings Domain, Port Phillip

and Docklands. A specialty area

called the Crystal Club Lounge

is available to people who stay

in some of the more expensive

suites at the Hotel. A third hotel

is under construction being built

at the corner of Whiteman and

Clarendon Streets, Southbank. The

new, “Metropol” will be Australia’s

largest hotel by number of rooms.

Federation Square (also locally known as Fed

Square) is a cultural precinct

in the city of Melbourne. It

comprises a series of buildings

containing a public broadcaster,

art galleries, a museum, cinemas,

exhibition spaces, auditoria,

restaurants, bars and shops

around two major public spaces,

one covered (The Atrium),

the other open to the sky, and

composed of two spaces that

low into one another (St. Paul’s Court and The Square). The

majority of the precinct is built on

top of a concrete deck over busy

railway lines. A major addition to

the precinct was Federation Wharf,

which extended Federation Square

to the Yarra by redeveloping the

vaults under the Princes Bridge

into cafes and ferry terminals with

elevator access to Federation

Square.

The site of Federation Square has

had a variety of former uses.

The Gas and Fuel Buildings,

Jolimont Yard and the Princes

Bridge railway station were the

immediate predecessors, though

in the nineteenth century there

was a morgue on the site.

The complex of buildings

forms a rough U-shape

around the main open-air

squares, oriented to the

west. The eastern end of

the square is formed by

the glazed walls of The

Atrium. While bluestone is

used for the majority of the

paving in the Atrium and

St. Paul’s Court, matching

footpaths elsewhere in central

Melbourne, the main square

is paved in 470,000 ochre-

coloured sandstone blocks from

Western Australia and invokes

images of the Outback. The

paving is designed as a

huge urban artwork called

‘Nearamnew’, by Paul Carter

and gently rises above street

level, containing a number

of textual pieces inlaid in its

undulating surface.

“The Atrium” is one of the

major public spaces in the

Federation Square cultural

precinct in central Melbourne,

Australia. It is a street-like

space, ive-stories high with glazed walls and roof. The

exposed metal structure

and glazing patterns follow

the pinwheel tiling pattern

zag proile to maximize their Square won ive awards in 2003 at

Royal Exhibition Building. It

include mummies from Egypt and

05

The Crown Entertainment Complex

low into one another (St. Paul’s

space, ive-stories high with

used elsewhere in the precinct’s

building facades.

The “Labyrinth” is a passive

cooling system sandwiched

above the railway lines and

below the middle of the square.

The concrete structure consists

of 1.2 km of interlocking,

honeycombed walls. It covers

160m2. The walls have a zig-

zag proile to maximize their surface area, and are spaced

60 cm apart. During summer

nights, cold air is pumped in the

combed space, cooling down the

concrete, while heat absorbed

during the day is pumped out.

The following day, cold air is

pumped from the Labyrinth out

into the Atrium through floor

vents. This process can keep the

Atrium up to 12°C cooler than

outside. This is comparable to

conventional air conditioning,

but using one-tenth the energy

and producing one-tenth the

carbon dioxide. During winter, the

process is reversed, whereby

warm daytime air stored in the

Labyrinth overnight, to be pumped

back into the Atrium during the day.

The architecture was the result

of an international design

competition that received 177

entries. Federation Square

was designed by Don Bates

and Peter Davidson of Lab

Architecture Studio. When the

winning bid was announced in

1997, the design was a source

of great controversy, being widely

supported by the design community

and causing outrage among

heritage advocates. Federation

Square won ive awards in 2003 at the Victorian Architecture Awards,

including the Victorian Architecture

Medal. The designers of Federation

square did not get any work for 6

months after the completion of the

A$450 million public space. Instead

they received hate-mail. In 2009, it

was voted as being the 5th ugliest

building in the world by editors and

members of the popular website

Virtual Tourist. Despite design

criticism, the open space has

proved to be a remarkably popular

place for protests, performances,

cultural gatherings, celebrations

and just ‘hanging out’. Federation

Square is Victoria’s second most

popular tourist attraction, and

attracts between six and seven

million visitors annually.

Melbourne Museum

is located in the Carlton Gardens

in Melbourne, adjacent the

Royal Exhibition Building. It is the largest museum in the

Southern Hemisphere, and is a

venue of Museum Victoria, which

also operates the Immigration

Museum and Scienceworks

Museum.

The museum has seven main

galleries, a Children’s Gallery

and a temporary exhibit gallery on

three levels, Upper, Ground and

Lower Level and was constructed

by Baulderstone Hornibrook. The

Touring Hall is where temporary

exhibits are displayed. Past exhibits

include mummies from Egypt and dinosaurs from China. The Big Box

is part of the Children’s Gallery.

In addition, the museum has other

facilities such as the Sidney

Myer Amphitheatre and The Age

Theatre. The Discovery Centre, on

the Lower Level, is a free public

research centre. The museum

also has a cafe and a souvenir

shop.

The IMAX Theatre, which is

situated on the Lower Level

is also part of the museum

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complex. It shows movies, usually

documentary ilms, in 3-D format.

The main permanent exhibits

include:

1. Science and Life Gallery

- including a skeleton of a

Diprotodon (a giant wombat-like

creature), and skeletons of large

man-eating dinosaurs, and many

other prehistoric animals.

2. The Science & Life Gallery also

contains the exhibitions: Bugs

Alive!, Marine Life: Exploring our seas and two more exhibitions

soon to open in 2010.

3. Melbourne Gallery - where the

body of Phar Lap, a race horse

that won the Melbourne Cup during

the depression era, is exhibited. It

also features an exhibition about

the history of Melbourne from the

early 1800s through to present

day (called The Melbourne Story).

4. Large skeleton of a Pygmy

Blue Whale.

5. Mind and Body Gallery - a

gallery regarding the human

body. It also features a world irst exhibition about the mind (called

The Mind: enter the labyrinth).

6. Evolution Gallery - the upper level features the exhibition

‘Darwin to DNA’. The lower level

feature Wild: Amazing animals

in a changing world exhibition.

7. Forest Gallery - a living

temperate Victorian forest

environment, complete with live

birds, reptiles, and other fauna.

8. Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural

Centre - a gallery with exhibitions

about the Aborigines of Victoria.

9. Te Pasiika Gallery - an exhibition which highlights the history and

watercrafts of Paciic Islanders.

10. Children’s Gallery - exhibitions

aimed at 3 to 8 year olds.

11. Touring Hall - is where

International touring exhibitions

are displayed.

12. Public spaces - Outside

the main galleries are various

displays relating to Victoria’s

and Australia’s history. Including

CSIRAC (an early computer

built in Australia), a Pygmy Blue

Whale, among others.

07

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MELBOURNEWHY

education system that is among the best in the

world and being a resident (and now, citizen),

meant that I had the chance to give our daughters

access to these opportunities as a citizen.

With our children’s future in our hands, we decided

to make the move. It was a huge decision, as

we had much invested here in our home country,

but we managed to get our finances and familial

ties in order and took the plunge. We persevered

throughout the initial few years of inding our footing in a foreign land and we have been happy here

ever since.

I am now working in an engineering firm that

emphasises employee rights (no more overtime

for rushed projects without proper compensation!),

which gives me the necessary time to bond with my

family. My oldest daughter has now spent most of

her adolescence in a quality suburban government

school and my youngest has just started her pre-

school education. My wife herself has bonded

with the local Malaysian society chapter’s ladies

and is a proud inductee to the ‘Mah Jongg’ wives

club! My new home is now my old home and here

in Victoria, I am home.

Like I said, it is hard to believe I ever hesitated to

bring my family to Australia.

Looking back on my decision to migrate to Australia,

it’s hard to believe that I was initially hesitant on

the thought of packing and moving my family to

Australia. Back in 2005, my career just started to

blossom as I was elevated to engineering lead of

my team and my wife had just given birth to our

second child. The thought never occurred to us that

life had greater opportunity to offer us elsewhere.

A friend of mine from work introduced me to Global

Migration and on a whim, I took the chance to meet

up with Louis to survey my options. I never had the

intention to take migration seriously, but Louis had

very compelling reasons lined up to whittle my doubts.

The chief consideration was the value of education

for my children. Going through the public education

system myself, I knew of the pitfalls of having little to

no idea on what constitutes quality education.

In Australia, each and every school is unique, but

the Australian education system emphasises quality,

not quantity. Qualiied teachers undergo supervised teaching and teachers oversee a maximum of

about 25 children in each classroom, providing

our daughters the personal attention they need to

nurture and grow.

Australia offers quality public education, but what

really convinced me was the world-class higher

?

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Migrant ProileMr. and Mrs. Lin, Glen Waverly, VIC

NEWZEALANDWith a population of just over 4 million people and two of the most livable cities in the world, New Zealand has become a destination of choice for migrants who seek to live life to the fullest.

As the least corrupt country in the world, New Zealand has the reputation of a safe and equitable environment for families and people intending to do business. It is ranked 2nd in the world for ease of doing business and 1st for the protection of investors. It only takes a single day of processing to apply for a business name reservation and incorporate the business.

New Zealand is also a land where many people from all over the world have called home. More than 1/5 of New Zealanders hail from a different country, and every year, approximately 30,000 residents make New Zealand their new permanent home.

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BECOMING

Highest Quality of LivingAuckland and Wellington ranked* #1 and #3 in Asia Pacific (#4 and #12 respectively in the world)*Mercer 2010 Quality of Living Survey

Free Healthcare & Education, Green Climate & Environment and Affordable Cost of LivingNew Zealand has public-funded health services, modern and innovative education institutions, spectacular eco-cities and an accessible standard of living

Easier Pathway to Obtain and Maintain Permanent ResidenceMigrants to New Zealand have less restrictive eligibility requirements and it is possible to obtain an ‘indefinite’ Returning Resident’s Visa

Live Where People Go to TravelFrom the Shires of Hobbiton to the mountain ranges of Narnia, New Zealand has the most picturesque locations in the world, all within vicinity of its world-class cities

Find Out More About Migrating to New Zealand!Call +603-2142 5199 to ind out more and for the opportunity to meet our licensedNew Zealand Immigration Adviser.

Visit www.PRforNewZealand.com for more details.

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KIWI

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LIVE BENEFITSWITH

HOLIDAY PAYMany migrants, who have made the move to Australia, succumb to

homesickness after a few years and yearn to return home for a long break

and reconnect with friends and family. For working and salaried migrants,

this would entail an application for a lengthy leave from work for the break.

Did you know that Australia has one of the most generous, fair and

holiday-friendly work conditions in the world?

For starters, employers generally give full-time employees:

• 4 weeks paid annual leave (5 for shift workers) for each 12

months of service.

• 10 days paid personal/carer’s leave in a year

• 2 days unpaid carer’s leave (when needed)

• 2 days paid compassionate leave (when needed)

• 12 months unpaid parental leave

For part-time employees, these benefits are provided on a pro rata basis.

One of the most intriguing benefits given to Australian employees is what

they call holiday pay, or leave loading in some states. Basically,

the theory is that when employees are on holiday, they are unable

to work overtime or earn additional income on those holidays, or

utilise company expenses that they normally would on a regular

working day. This translates to employees being compensated an

extra 17.5% benefit on top of their regular paid annual leave.

If you calculate annual leave paid in advance:

Normal rate of pay (week) AU$1000

Annual leave, paid in advance AU$4000 (4 weeks)

Leave loading AU$4000 x 0.175 = AU$700

Gross paid annual leave AU$4700

So, an Australian employee on holiday is paid 117.5% of their normal

rate of pay. Of course, this is dependent on the condition of the

contract signed with the employer, but generally, it is a rightful benefit

that many states have adopted as employment or fair pay provisions.

With special incentives like this, it’s no wonder that Australians take the time

to carefully plan their long holidays. Don’t you wish you had that too?

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TIME !SCHOOLIT’S

Every family who migrates to Australia have a common key

goal - enrolling their child into one of Australia’s world-class

education providers. New families beginning their new life in

Australia eventually have to weigh their child’s educational

options and make the right decision in providing their child the

best education possible.

Early learning education prepares the child for the world outside, for social exploration and educational development. Learn more

about early learning and education in Melbourne in this issue of

‘The Good Life’.

THE FIRST FEW STEPS - PRE-SCHOOLPre-primary education is commonly known as kindergarten,

transition, reception or pre-school education according to the

state the child is enrolled in. In Victoria, pre-primary is known as

preparatory school.

The minimum age for pre-school enrolment is between 3 and 5

years of age. Generally, pre-school goers attend about 10 to 17

hours a week, depending on the state.

Pre-schools are designed to prepare the child for their primary

education. They begin their social exploration, foster their

independence from family and adjust to a structured education system.

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A Helping Start

Some states offer free or low-cost pre-schools, along with kindergarten

subsidies for eligible low-income families. Victoria has an annual

kindergarten subsidy of AU$820 (or AU$205 per term) for eligible families.

In addition to the state subsidy, the Australian federal assistance

authority, Centrelink, also lists Family Tax Beneits and Child Care Beneit/Rebates as applicable for eligible families.

SPREADING THEIR WINGS – PRIMARY EDUCATIONWhen a child turns 6 in Australia, it is compulsory to enroll the child

into primary school. Primary education covers eight basic themes,

such as English, Health and Physical Education, a Secondary Language, Maths, Science, Society and Environment, Technology, and the Arts.

A typical school year session is divided into 4 school terms over 40 weeks

a year and an average school day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.

VIC School Terms (2010-2012)

2010 2011 2012

Term 1 1 Feb - 26 Mar 4 Feb - 8 Apr 6 Feb - 30 Mar

Term 2 12 Apr - 25 Jun 27 Apr - 1 Jul 16 Apr - 29 Jun

Term 3 12 Jul - 17 Sep 18 Jul - 23 Sep 16 Jul - 21 Sep

Term 4 4 Oct - 17 Dec 10 Oct - 22 Dec 8 Oct - 21 Dec

There is the option of going to a public (state) schools, or the more

expensive private schools. It typically costs between nothing to AU$500

a year for public schools (fees in voluntary school levies) whereas

private schools can cost between AU$1000 - AU$5000 per term.

Public schools are also divided into two categories, open and selective

schools. Open schools generally accept all students within a deined region or location and utilise the Curriculum Standards Framework,

whereas selective schools have entrance requirement tests and

are highly competitive.

A Helping Start

Children enrolling into Preparatory school or Year 1 in the irst term are eligible for one-off state government subsidy of AU$300 called

the School Start Bonus. The School Start Bonus is intended meet the

cost of buying school and sports uniforms, bags and stationaries that

will help your child get the best possible start to a school term.

HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT SCHOOL?The first thing to do is to research the early learning resources

offered by the State and locate a school near your residence.

In order to ind the right school, you may wish to visit each individual schools website. The Qualiications Register or School Board of each state generally has more detailed information regarding the schools,

such as its annual reports, comparative performance in the region,

qualifications assessment and facilities offered.

In January 2010, the My School website was launched and it is a

gateway to a list of schools ranked nationally based on the NAPLAN

standardised literacy and numeracy tests. You can find out more

about the national ranking of your researched schools at the My

School site.

Useful Victoria Education Links

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

(https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/child/pages/Default.aspx)

Victorian Registration and Qualiications Authority (search schools)

(http://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/StateRegister/Search.aspx/

Search?SearchType=0)

ACARA MySchool site

(http://www.myschool.edu.au/)

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15

CHILD VISA

What is it?The Child Visa is a permanent

visa for a child of an Australian

citizen, permanent resident or

eligible New Zealand citizen who

is less than 25 years old and

wants to migrate to Australia.

If the child is above 18 years

old, the child would have to be

a full-time student and financially

dependent on the parent sponsor.

Who can sponsor?The parent of the child will be

sponsor of the child applicant.

The sponsor must provide

support for the child applicant for

the first 2 years in Australia.

What does the visa allow?The Child Visa allows the holder

to live permanently in Australia

and unrestricted travel to and

from Australia for 5 years from

the date of the visa grant. The

visa holder is responsible to

obtain a Resident’s Return Visa

(RRV) (Subclass 155) if they

wish to continue traveling to and

from Australia after 5 years.

FAQDo I need to apply for a child

visa if I am a PR and my child

is born overseas?

The following are situations

that apply for a child born to

Permanent Residents and

citizens of Australia:

In Australia

• If at least 1 parent was an Australian PR or citizen; the baby

is an Australian citizen

• If neither parents are Australian PR or citizen; the baby acquires

visa of a parent with a more

beneficial visa

Outside Australia

• If at least 1 parent was a full Australian citizen; the baby is

an Australian citizen by descent

• If at least 1 parent was an

Australian citizen by descent; AND

have been present in Australia

lawfully for at least 2 years before

the baby was born; the baby is an

Australian citizen by descent.

• If either or both parent has Australian PR, but not Australian

citizenship, the baby has no

immigration status in Australia.

The baby would have to apply

for a child visa.

Does my child need a police

check?

If the child is above 16 years of

age, the child may be asked to

provide character checks, which

may include penal clearance.

The penal clearance has to be

for each country where the child

has lived for 12 months or more,

in the past 10 years since turning

16 years of age.

I share custody of my child

with my ex-husband. Do I

need his permission to apply

for a child visa?

The following circumstances

apply when determining custody

requirements of children under

18 years old for visa purposes.

• If sharing custody of child with another parent or any other

person with the legal right to

determine where the child can

live; the sponsor must obtain

permission from that other person

to migrate the child, in the form of

a statutory declaration.

• If permission cannot be obtained, custody requirements can still

be met if the sponsor has a

valid court order that allows the

sponsor to remove the child

from the home country.

• Custody requirements may also be met if the Family Court

of Australia issues a residence

order, contact order or care

order and the grant of the visa is

consistent with the issued order.

VISAS EXPLAINED

Note: All effort has been made to present the information on this page as accurate and up-to-date as possible. Information on this page should not be taken as legal immigration advice. Contact Global Migration Solutions for more details.

Subclass 802 (onshore) | Subclass 101 (offshore)

SummaryVisa Subclass: 802 (onshore), 101 (offshore)Visa Type: PermanentApplicant Qualifying Age: Below 25. If above 18 years, must be student & inancially dependent on parent.Sponsor: Parent (Australian citizen, PR or NZ citizen)

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MELBOURNE

ATINHOME

Every migrant goes through the initial landing phase. Some, who have relatives or acquaintances in Victoria, have friendly faces to turn to for support, while others, with nothing but their luggage bags and a wide-eyed sense of anticipation, have to sort out the issue of finding their very first Victorian accommodation.

Free-spirited migrants who enter Australia individually may look towards a more affordable and attractive shared accommodation option, or rooming houses. On the other hand, family migrants may seek the more comfortable and family-friendly rent option.

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THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN VICTORIA

1. Organise long-term accommodation.

2. Apply for a tax file number (http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/

content.asp?doc=/content/4716.htm) and open a bank account.

3.Register with Medicare

4. Visit the local Centrelink (www.centrelink.gov.au) for assistance

and government payments.

5. Register for a free industry or business seminar on

www.LiveInVictoria.vic.gov.au.

6. Purchase a pre-paid mobile phone account

7. Apply for a driver’s license.

8. Enroll your children into school9. Start looking for work.

10. Make an appointment to see a migration coordinator in

regional Victoria.

(Source: LiveInVictoria.vic.gov.au)

TEMPORARY LODGINGThe search for long-term rental accommodation is a long and

sometimes arduous process, which may necessitate arranging

for temporary accommodation. Victoria is host to many quality

serviced apartments and hotels that will house new settlers until

they are able to find their own unit or property.

Links To Serviced Apartmentswww.visitvictoria.com

www.aussieapartments.com.au

www.questapartments.com.au

www.serviced-apartments.com.au

ROOMING HOUSESWhether referred to as boarding houses, guest houses, backpackers or

shared accommodation or hostel, all of the temporary accommodation

that involves sharing of accommodation are generally registered

as rooming houses and are governed by local councils.© Alain Lacroix | Dreamstime.com

18

in regional Australia. In terms of

comparing rent in the city district

and the regional area, your

mileage will definitely vary.

To apply to be a prospective

tenant, a landlord or agent may

request for accept a deposit,

which must be refunded when

a tenancy agreement is agreed

upon and signed. If no tenancy

agreements are drawn within 14

days of the deposit being paid,

it is refunded to the prospective

tenant.

When you have found a home

that you want to settle in, you

would become a tenant of this

home and both you and the

landlord will have to sign a lease

or tenancy agreement. Tenancy

agreements can be fixed or

periodic.

The landlord or agent may

ask for a bond, which cannot

be more than 1 month’s rent.

Similar to the rooming house

procedures, bonds can be lodged

with the RBTA for safekeeping.

A condition report is also given

upon payment of the bond for

both the tenant and the landlord.

Rent is usually paid in advance

and the landlord or agent can

only ask for a maximum of 14

days rent.

MI CASA NO ES SU CASAA landlord may enter the

premises under the following:

Agreed time – a landlord

may enter as long as the

tenant agrees and is notified in

advanced

24 hour notice – a landlord

may enter after providing a 24

hour written notice by hand, or

delivered between 8a.m and 6p.m.

If there are any disputes, the

Victorian Civil and Administrative

Tribunal (VCAT) will hear the

dispute after an application is

made.

Consumer Affairs Victoriawww.consumer.vic.gov.au

Residential Tenancies Bond Authority

www.rentalbonds.vic.gov.au

Victorian Civil And Administrative Tribunal

www.vcat.vic.gov.au

Real Estate Linkswww.reiv.com.au

www.domain.com.au

www.realestate.com.au

www.commercialview.com.au

www.propertydata.com.au

A rooming house has to fulfill size,

amenity, safety and communal

cleanliness standards. It also has

to conform to space allowances

per person (according to Health

and Building Regulations).

A rooming house owner can set or

change house rules. Any changes

would have to be notified by

the owner to occupants at least

seven days before the changes

are implemented.

ROOM WITH A VIEWWhen residents have decided

upon a rooming house, the

rooming house owner has to

oblige by the Victoria Consumer

Affairs regulations and provide:

• a ‘Notice to Proposed Rooming House Resident’ form, which

explains residents rights, including

whether the room has exclusive

occupancy rights or otherwise.

• a ‘Rooming Houses – A Guide for Residents’ guide book and

the house rules

• the rooming house owner or managers’ name, address and

contact for authorising repairs

• extra rent charges for additional services such as room cleaning

or common meals

If residents do not receive the

above, the rooming house owner

may be fined.

The rooming house owner may

ask for a bond, which cannot be

more than 14 days of rent. The

bond paid has to be lodged with

the Residential Tenancies Bond

Authority (RTBA), which will be

kept for you. After submitting

a bond, residents will be given

a a Condition Report Form to

acknowledge or verify, copies of

which be kept in the case of any

dispute.

Rent can be increased as long as

the rooming house owner gives

an advanced notice of 60 days.

Rent can only be increased every

6 months. If residents think that the

rest increase is too excessive, they

can lodge a ‘rent assessment’

with Consumer Affairs Victoria.

RENTING YOUR HOMEIf you are keen on living on your

own, you may choose to rent

your own place instead of sharing

accommodations. Victoria has an

extensive network of places to

rent. Rent is usually advertised

on the basis of weekly rental. You

can find accommodations of a

single bedroom, single bathroom

apartment for about AU$250 per

week in Melbourne, whereas

the same may also get you a

3-bedroom, 2 bathroom house

© Phillip Minnis | Dreamstime.com © Marius Hainal | Dreamstime.com

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