Rental Advice - First time Rentee

Wall

Wall

Sports Addict
Joined
Mar 12, 2009
Messages
30,855
Reaction score
291
Location
Jozi
Hello,

So, I need to find a place to stay from April 2016 and I have a few things that I need clearing up and assistance with.

1) I'm working in Parktown and the SO is in Bryanston. What are the best areas best suited to us? We are trying to find a "middle" point. I would also like to know of surburbs to avoid due to high crime / its dodgy etc.
2) We want a 2 bedroom apartment with build-ins for the bedrooms and kitchen.
3) We are looking at budgeting ~R7000 p/m. Is this a sufficient amount?
4) How much rental advance are we looking at? 1 month or 2?
5) When should we actively seek out a place to rent? i.e. If I'm looking to rent in April 2016, when would landlords put places to rent? 3 months in advance? 6 months? etc
6) General advice, do's and don't's appreciated :)

I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get deeper into this process.

thanks for the input :)
 
Last edited:
Wall said:
Hello,

So, I need to find a place to stay from April 2016 and I have a few things that I need clearing up and assistance with.

1) I'm working in Parktown and the SO is in Bryanston. What are the best areas best suited to us? We are trying to find a "middle" point. I would also like to know of surburbs to avoid due to high crime / its dodgy etc.
2) We want a 2 bedroom apartment with build-ins for the bedrooms and kitchen.
3) We are looking at budgeting ~R7000 p/m. Is this a sufficient amount?
4) How much rental advance are we looking at? 1 month or 2?
5) When should we actively seek out a place to rent? i.e. If I'm looking to rent in April 2016, when would landlords put places to rent? 3 months in advance? 6 months? etc
6) General advice, do's and don't's appreciated :)

I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get deeper into this process.

thanks for the input :)
Click to expand...

I cannot speak for the area(I'm in Cape town) but ...

For R7k you can find a free standing house.
Best to start looking 2 months ahead. You seldom find anything 3-6 months in advance.
Most places ask 1.5 or 2 months deposit + 1 month rent.

nb. Ask around in the area if people know the landlord. I should have done that. After I moved in I found out that everyone knows the landlord and not for good reason. The oke is a bit mad. (Giving my 2 months notice this afternoon after 4 years of putting up with it).

Goodluck
 
Last edited:
I've been through this a couple of times and here are the short answers.....

1) You'd probably want to look into properties to the north of the N1, as soon as you cross over and start looking in the Randburg,bryanston, craighall, rosebank areas, rental is about 30-40% more so i'd look in northriding, sundowner, rand park areas.

2/3) R7000 is a good start and you can get decent 2 bed spot for that price but seeing as youre looking april 2016 add 10% so long.

4) With rentals, landlords usually ask for 1 months rental for deposit with the first months rental upfront.

5) Most spots open up 1 month in advance cause thats usually the notice period for people moving out so i wouldnt bother looking more than 2 months in advance.

6) start saving now for the deposit, coming up with an extra whole months rent isnt easy on short notice!
 
Flakmunki said:
I've been through this a couple of times and here are the short answers.....

1) You'd probably want to look into properties to the north of the N1, as soon as you cross over and start looking in the Randburg,bryanston, craighall, rosebank areas, rental is about 30-40% more so i'd look in northriding, sundowner, rand park areas.

2/3) R7000 is a good start and you can get decent 2 bed spot for that price but seeing as youre looking april 2016 add 10% so long.

4) With rentals, landlords usually ask for 1 months rental for deposit with the first months rental upfront.

5) Most spots open up 1 month in advance cause thats usually the notice period for people moving out so i wouldnt bother looking more than 2 months in advance.

6) start saving now for the deposit, coming up with an extra whole months rent isnt easy on short notice!
Click to expand...

@ point 1, Traffic around sundowner and NorthRiding is a nightmare, so i ideally want to avoid that section. what about Greenstone? How's the traffic from there to Bryanston?
 
ice_cubes said:
First you need to decide which of you is willing to sit in traffic :)
Click to expand...

none of us :D

seriously, I wouldn't mind the extra traffic but I don't want to die in it daily (Beyers, Malibongwe)
 
Wall said:
6) General advice, do's and don't's appreciated :)
Click to expand...

Hi, from Cape Town here so cannot advice on points 1 to 5.

In general I highly recommend you insist that the property is cleaned before you move in.
Go through the property WITH the rental agent and take photos of any damage: doors, cupboards (inside and out), bathrooms, tiles, windows, etc.
Email these photos to your agent, that way you cannot be held responsible when you move out. Also try and get all of that fixed by the agent.

Those are things that have bitten my friends in the past, you move in and there is already some damage, the agent claims ignorance and when you move out they deduct a "repair fee" from your deposit. :mad:
 
how about buying ?


im not sure off the property prices in those areas though

for R7k a month you can get a flat for R600k i think add levies and rates and electricity and should be around R7k

A R600k place with 11% interest and no deposit = R6200 a month
 
Wall said:
@ point 1, Traffic around sundowner and NorthRiding is a nightmare, so i ideally want to avoid that section. what about Greenstone? How's the traffic from there to Bryanston?
Click to expand...


Greenstone is in Edenvale. Not ideal for whomever is working in Bryanston.

For R7k pm you are most likely going to have to live outside the circle unless you look at areas like linksfield and to its immediate north.

Wrt to your work locations - unless you ate rich one of you is going to face traffic (probably both).

"Newer" more affordable places that aren't dumps are in the north.

You are in JHB now so make peace with this:
1. You drive everywhere. 60km daily commutes is common.
2. The only real way to beat traffic to a certain degree is to work flexi hours
 
I.am.Sam said:
how about buying ?


im not sure off the property prices in those areas though

for R7k a month you can get a flat for R600k i think add levies and rates and electricity and should be around R7k

A R600k place with 11% interest and no deposit = R6200 a month
Click to expand...


R600k in JHB? It's going to be very very small or in an area you'd rather not want to live.
 
Hamster said:
Greenstone is in Edenvale. Not ideal for whomever is working in Bryanston.

For R7k pm you are most likely going to have to live outside the circle unless you look at areas like linksfield and to its immediate north.

Wrt to your work locations - unless you ate rich one of you is going to face traffic (probably both).

"Newer" more affordable places that aren't dumps are in the north.

You are in JHB now so make peace with this:
1. You drive everywhere. 60km daily commutes is common.
2. The only real way to beat traffic to a certain degree is to work flexi hours
Click to expand...

I've just been tracking traffic flow on google maps and from Lone Hill and surrounds, google estimates a 45 minute trip to Parktown. I can live with that + I've realised a place like greenstone won't work because we both get a 45 minute to an hour traffic. If we get somewhere around fourways / lonehill, I'll still have a similar traffic experience but the SO would be golden as she will be quite close to Bryanston.

EDIT: I may also be in a position whereby every second week I work a 7am - 3:30pm shift, if that comes to fruiton, I'd really look at fourways and surrounds I'll only have 2 weeks of traffic and the SO would have none!
 
Last edited:
I.am.Sam said:
how about buying ?


im not sure off the property prices in those areas though

for R7k a month you can get a flat for R600k i think add levies and rates and electricity and should be around R7k

A R600k place with 11% interest and no deposit = R6200 a month
Click to expand...

Not ready for buying a property just yet.
 
I.am.Sam said:
yeah not sure off the areas but here in CPT you can get something decent for around R600k



propery is always an investment and better than renting ...
Click to expand...

I realise that but with the upcoming wedding and buying of furnishing for our home, I'm going to be stretched thin. I need to save up again before I commit myself.
 
Wall said:
I've just been tracking traffic flow on google maps and from Lone Hill and surrounds, google estimates a 45 minute trip to Parktown. I can live with that + I've realised a place like greenstone won't work because we both get a 45 minute to an hour traffic. If we get somewhere around fourways / lonehill, I'll still have a similar traffic experience but the SO would be golden as she will be quite close to Bryanston.

EDIT: I may also be in a position whereby every second week I work a 7am - 3:30pm shift, if that comes to fruiton, I'd really look at fourways and surrounds I'll only have 2 weeks of traffic and the SO would have none!
Click to expand...

I live in Douglasdale (basically Fourways area). Bryanston is easy from here. When I do have to travel to head office in Houghton (close to Parktown) I leave either at 6am or 9am. Between those times you are screwed. And it takes just one fender bender to get you stuck in a traffic jam.

Regardless, Fourways area is pretty "central" because you have big roads going in every direction. Problem is that everybody knows it :(
 
Hamster said:
I live in Douglasdale (basically Fourways area). Bryanston is easy from here. When I do have to travel to head office in Houghton (close to Parktown) I leave either at 6am or 9am. Between those times you are screwed. And it takes just one fender bender to get you stuck in a traffic jam.

Regardless, Fourways area is pretty "central" because you have big roads going in every direction. Problem is that everybody knows it :(
Click to expand...

which route do you use to get to Hougton? William Nicol / Jan Smuts or N1 / M1?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X