Monday, June 26, 2017

Where to look for a rental in Suva

Flotsam and Jetsam bits of advice from a variety of sources:

"I suggest you use a real estate agent. Make sure it is a licensed real estate agent. They know the market, they know pricing, they can be real advocates. Keep in mind that THEY DON'T WORK FOR YOU. The landlord pays one month rent to the real estate agent, so their priority is going to be renting the house. That said, they do have a code of ethics and standards they must maintain, there is also a board you can complain to if you run into problems." 

"Did you know there is a rent freeze in effect in Fiji and that unless the house has been totally renovated the rent can't go up?"

"Landlords will try to get you into bidding war with another renter so they can raise the rent. You can complain to the Fiji Commerce Commission but you have to have proof of what the last renter was paying (their lease) and a copy of your lease. If they don't rent the house to you you can't do anything" 

(got a comment to include? PM me and I can add it to the blog or add it in the comments) 
Amerika's advice: Hire Interactive Transitions to help you with all aspects of your move. If you decide to do it on your own, ask the price, street number and address of the house first - sometimes houses are listed with more than one agent or in more than one place. Also, be sure to ask about your list of your must-haves, like hot water, screened-in windows, ceiling fans, air conditioners in each bedroom or common areas, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, a cooktop -stove-or range, an oven. If you are in a shared compound, ask who takes care of the common areas. Also ask who pays for things like fumigation and pressure washing/water blasting the driveways/walkways. Dishwashers and bathtubs are somewhat uncommon. Water backup and either a generator or the ability to hook up a generator is good.

If you're looking for a place to rent, use your network (employer, parents from school, church members, people in your clubs, people at the gym, anybody who might possibly know of available house).  Because the market in Suva is still pretty tight there are a significant number of places that rent without ever being listed publicly. Sometimes new tenants will sign a lease the same day that the moving tenants announce they're leaving. The biggest crunches are at the end of the year and at midyear (summer/winter solstice), if you have the chance to move at one of the equinoxes you'll find the market a little softer. 

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