Thanks to smart incentives provided by the WA government to increase housing purchases both in the CBD and the suburbs, rental vacancies have increased and now is the time to grab a bargain! Landlords have had their day during the boom and housing scarcity. Now they are dropping prices to encourage tenants back into properties. Check out our review of the best suburbs and the bargains available in them this month!

CBD - Central

Is it possible that Perth’s CBD has become the most affordable CBD in the nation? If your work situation requires you to spend most of your time in the CBD, or you just want to be close to the centre of the action, then positioning yourself in the middle of town will save you not only in parking and transport fees, but will also give you more time to experience all that the centre of Perth city has to offer!

When looking for rental properties in this area, check out properties on St George’s Terrace, Murray St, William St, Milligan St, King St, Lord St, or any connecting streets around these. This is the heart of the CBD and the most centrally located you can get. At the moment (September 2017) median prices for a 2-bedroom apartments in this region is $470pw with some prices as low as $300pw!

Checkout additional features which will help save you in the long term, such as parking and proximity to your work and favourite places, as well as public transport stops. This will save you in fuel, transport costs, and parking. If you are travelling within the CBD, checkout your proximity to CAT Bus services which are the free buses operating within the City and inner suburbs.

Inner West

If the CBD isn’t for you, or you just want a bit more space to move, the Inner West is the place to be! Suburbs such as Nedlands, Claremont, Cottesloe, Dalkeith, Jolimont, Mosman Park, Shenton Park, Subiaco, Swanbourne, and West Perth, make up the Inner West segment. If you are from “Over East” this can be a bit confusing, thinking of the Inner West as being the nicer and more expensive suburbs, but just remember – The West IS the coast over here!

With some of these older suburbs, there is more “family home” type properties on the market. These start at around the $300pw mark for a 2-bedroom apartment, $400pw for a townhouse, and $1000pw for a 3+ bedroom family home. They are usually concentrated around those suburbs which are more established as home owner areas rather than industrial or CBD. Their proximity to the CBD makes transport routes for work highly accessible, and they are also the go-to areas for restaurants, services and businesses that take providing food and products seriously.

In the sticks – The outer suburbs of Perth Metropolitan Area

The backbone of any city is its outer suburbs, and Perth is no different. What does set it apart geographically is how far-flung its suburbs stretch. It is divided neatly into 2 halves that create sub-cultures all their own. The division is marked by the Swan River that flows through the middle of the CBD and delineates North and South of the River.

North of the River

The suburbs North of the River have a lot going for them. Located closer to the coast than those South of the River, they are traditionally more established due to the long history of housing developments that stretch back through the 60’s and 70’s. Along with this, transport routes are more established, as are shopping centres and all services associated with suburban living. Because of these areas being long established, there is a glut of large homes on large blocks that are sitting vacant at the moment.

Suburbs that are North of the River include Alexander Heights, Ashby, Balcatta, Balga, Beldon, Carine, Connolly, Craigie, Darch, Duncraig, Duncraig, Edgewater, Girrawheen, Gnangara, Greenwood, Hamersley, Heathridge, Hillarys, Hocking, Jandabup, Joondalup, Joondalup Dc, Kallaroo, Kingsley, Kingsway, Koondoola, Landsdale, Lexia, Madeley, Marangaroo, Mariginiup, Marmion, Melaleuca, Mirrabooka, Mullaloo, Nollamara, North Beach, Ocean Reef, Padbury, Pearsall, Pinjar, Sinagra, Sorrento, Stirling, Tapping, Trigg, Wangara, Wangara Dc, Wanneroo, Warwick, Watermans Bay, Westminster, and Woodvale.

Houses in these areas start as low as $220pw, and in areas closest to the waterfronts such as Hillarys and Kallaroo start at $400pw but you can get some amazing properties with multiple bedrooms and features for $500-$1000pw.

South of the River

South of the River can be considered as being divided into 3 sections. There are the inner South, South East and South (West). Inner South Suburbs such as South Perth, Como, Attadale, and Fremantle are home to smaller properties on average, but have the benefit of being close to the city, University campuses, and many businesses. Prices in these areas start at $400pw and depending on the size of the property you are after and the features, can go as high as $650 for a simple family home.

The South East comprises suburbs such as Atwell, Aubin Grove, Bateman, Beaconsfield, Bedfordale, Beeliar, Bentley, Bibra Lake, Bull Creek, Burswood, Canning Vale, Cannington, Carlisle, Cockburn Central, Coogee, Coolbellup, Ferndale, Hamilton Hill, Harrisdale, Henderson, Hilton, Huntingdale, Jandakot, Kardinya, Kensington, Mount Nasura, Mount Richon, Munster, Murdoch, North Coogee, North Lake, O'Connor, Orange Grove, Piara Waters, Queens Park, Riverton, Rivervale, Shelley, South Fremantle, South Lake, Southern River, St James, Victoria Park, Waterford, Wattle Grove, and Welshpool.

As with any major city, the further you venture away from the CBD, the cheaper the housing gets. With South East Perth in particular this can be a tricky and confusing process. Suburbs that are located right next door to each other can have differences in rental prices (for the same house even!) of up to $200pw. South East Perth also has the most diverse range of geographical locations in the Perth Area. Suburbs like Henderson, Coogee, and South Fremantle are minutes from the water, or right on it. Suburbs like Welshpool, Piara Waters and Harrisdale are about as far from the water as you can get! So, prices vary due to this also. Due to the vast differences, it is best to check out the suburbs individually that you are looking at. Weigh up the costs versus what you will be paying for school, transport and even food, as these areas have vast differences in the costs of these also.

Where to look?

REIWA (Link: https://reiwa.com.au/rent/ ) is the peak body for the Real Estate industry of WA. It is home to all the relevant information for renting and buying in WA and also runs one of the most comprehensive listings of rental properties in WA. It also allows you to search via the map which will help you in finding the suburbs closest to where you want to be. If you aren’t familiar with the lay of the land in Perth and get confused with all the similar sounding names (Cannington and Canning Vale, Bedford and Bedfordale!), this is a huge help!

RealEstate.com.au (Link: www.realestate.com.au ) is the next most popular website, and allows you to filter your search results to very specific parameters. Need a shed, 4 bedrooms and a BBQ? This is the place to search for them!

Need assistance finding a home in Perth? We can help you before you arrive or when you get to Perth. Call 0418629803 or email relocations@newintown.com.au for a quote.