Renting in Australia without rental history or a guarantor

I. Background and the Question

Many students coming to Australia to study for the first time encounter similar concerns:

“The agent is asking for my rental history, but what if I have never rented in Australia?”

“The landlord requires a guarantor, but I do not have relatives in Australia.”

In fact, this is a stage that almost all international students go through.

In the Australian rental system, landlords and agents are not requiring you to “have an Australian rental history”;

there are really only two main things they care about:

1️⃣ Whether you have the ability to keep paying rent;

2️⃣ Whether you will use and maintain the property properly.

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II. What If You Have No Australian Rental History?

1. Use “Alternative Documents” to Demonstrate Reliability

Even if you have no Australian rental history, you can supplement your application with the following documents:

Qrent suggestion:

If you cannot provide a formal rental reference, you can submit an Accommodation Reference or Character Reference Letter,

with a teacher or student adviser briefly explaining that you are “responsible and tidy”.

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2. Explain Your Situation Proactively in the Cover Letter

In your rental application letter, you can explain directly and honestly that this is your first time renting in Australia:

I am a first-year student in Australia, and this will be my first rental property.I have no local rental history, but I can provide my university enrolment and bank statement to show financial stability.

This approach of proactively explaining your situation + providing alternative evidence is usually more likely to gain understanding than avoiding the issue.

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3. Prepare Proof of Funds or a Guarantee in Advance

When you lack a rental history, proof of financial capacity becomes the most important basis for assessment, including:

• Screenshots of your bank account balance (Bank Statement);

• A parental guarantee letter (Parent Guarantor / Parent Letter);

• An explanation of the source of funds (such as parental transfers or proof of a scholarship).

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III. What If the Agent Asks for a Guarantor?

A Guarantor generally means:

When the tenant cannot fulfil the lease or pay the rent,

the guarantor is willing to take on the corresponding financial responsibility.

This generally arises only in the following situations:

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IV. How Do You Write a Parent Letter / Parental Guarantee Letter?

A parental support letter can explain funding but is not automatically a legally binding guarantee. Ask the agent what is accepted, who may guarantee and what obligations apply.

Parent Letter (a letter of parental financial support).

1. Basic Information (Basic Information)

• Title:

Letter of Financial Support or Parental Guarantee Letter

• Salutation:

To Whom It May Concern

or Dear [Landlord's / Agent's Name]

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2. Guarantor Statement (Guarantor Details)

The letter needs to state clearly:

• The parents' full names

• Contact details (phone / email)

• Residential address

• Relationship to the applicant, for example:

As the father/mother of [Applicant’s Name]

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3. Financial Support (Financial Support Details)

Truthfully explain the amount, frequency and duration of financial support. These are letter examples, not mandatory thresholds or an automatically binding guarantee.

• Scope of support:

Describe support that reflects the actual ability and intention of the parties; do not promise obligations you do not understand or cannot fulfil

• Examples of Specific Amounts:

• Rent: for example, AUD 300 per week

• Living expenses: for example, AUD 800 per month

• Source of funds:

Salary income, savings or other assets (supporting documents required)

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4. Proof of Ability to Guarantee (Proof of Financial Capacity)

You can explain the guarantor's financial capacity in the letter or attachments, for example:

I currently hold savings of RMB 500,000 in my bank account (bank statement attached), which is sufficient to support all expenses required.

Attach the corresponding documents as supporting evidence.

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5. Additional Commitments (Optional)

Depending on the agent's requirements, you can optionally add:

• Confirm the actual funding arrangement rather than treating a large advance rent payment as the default application strategy;

• If a guarantee agreement is proposed:

Check the obligations, amount, duration and state rules before accepting terms; do not copy an unlimited or joint-liability promise without understanding it.

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6. Signature and Date

• The parents' handwritten or electronic signature;

• The date the letter is issued.

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7. Supporting Document Checklist (Supporting Documents)

Required documents:

• The guarantor's bank proof of savings;

• Proof of income (such as payslips).

Optional documents (to strengthen credibility):

• Property ownership certificate;

• Tax records;

• Proof of other assets.

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V. What If You Cannot Provide a Parental Guarantee?

In some circumstances, alternatives can also be used:

• Provide sufficient personal savings (recommended ≥ the total of 3 months' rent);

• Submit proof of a scholarship or a part-time employment contract;

• Ask which alternative evidence is accepted; do not substitute extra rent in advance for the required documents.

💡 Note:

Advance rent and a bond serve different purposes. For ordinary NSW residential tenancies, the landlord or agent cannot require more than two weeks’ advance rent, and the bond is capped at four weeks. Check other states and agreement types separately. See NSW starting costs.

and paying rent for an excessively long period in one go is not recommended.

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VI. How Does Qrent Help First-Time Renters?

QRent currently offers these practical starting points:

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VII. Key Points

• Having no Australian rental history does not mean you cannot rent;

• You can use residence references, teacher reference letters and bank statements as alternatives;

• Acceptance of a financial support letter depends on the agent or provider;

• A Parent Letter should have a clear structure, specific amounts and complete attachments;

• Truthful, complete documents help explain your circumstances but do not guarantee approval.

Qrent suggestion:

Renting for the first time is not a “competition over qualifications”, but a “competition over how well prepared you are”.