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What if I want to rent before I buy?

Mortgage Mates is passionate about sharing because of the long term, positive impacts it can have for our Mates in terms of financial rewards, social connection and housing affordability. In particular we are championing the ability to own your own home because of the additional benefits it brings, but we know for some people buying a house isn’t possible right now.

We are here to say to say that’s OK! Mortgage Mates isn’t about everybody having to own the own home, it is about providing everybody the ability to do so.

That’s why we have added some additional information to the website, and updated the searching options to our algorithm, to let people sign up as ‘maybe mates’ to begin with.

Maybe Mates are people who are looking to enter the rental market in a shared environment, interested in co-live with someone else before hopefully going on to own a home in the future.

Maybe Mates allows our users to match based on the same houseMate preferences (are you a dog or a cat person) and housing needs (such as the location and type of property you want) but to rent instead of owning!

Mortgage Mates was created because we see the value in sharing the cost of a home, and increasing your access to community by matching with Mates who share your same aspirations.

However, we know to get to the stage you can own a home, you have to be able to save enough money to begin that process.

By signing up as Maybe Mates and choosing to live with someone in a rental, you can benefit from reduced rent, reduced bill payments and increased savings opportunities.

The increase in savings can be used to go towards repaying existing debt, or towards a deposit amount, both options bring you a step closer to homeownership if this is something you are working towards.

By matching with a Mate to rent a property with- you may also find the perfect person to share your housing journey with! Two, for the price of One!

How to safely rent a home together.

There are a number of steps we can help you take to safely rent a property together.

  • Read our FREE co-living guide to get step by step support on how to rent together. This is available in our Information Centre, alongside other useful guides and information packs.
  • Use a co-living agreement to set our your preferred ways of living together. 
  • Ask for information from your co-tenant that will help you decide whether to rent together. This may include references, police checks or financial information. (Be sure to share any personal information in a safe and secure way). 
  • Reach out. If you have any questions you can’t find the answers to we will be more than happy to point you in the right direction to get the support and advice you need.

THE BENEFITS OF CO-LIVING

Quicker access to the housing market/more available choices
More affordable than renting alone
Co-living agreements help manage the renlationship
Increased social connection
Live where you want to, not where you can afford to

Why rent a home together?

As we have already touched upon above, we know buying a home either isn’t the right decision for you right now, or, you don’t want to own a home together at all. But we still want to support you to access the benefits that can come from shared living.

That’s why we have added this additional page in- to let you, a Maybe Mate, know we are here to support you!

Whether you are moving to a new country for the first time, going to university, or just looking to share a property in your home town, there are lots of benefits to renting with someone else!

  • Firstly, in rental markets that are expensive, sharing the cost with one or more people can help keep prices down, whilst also accessing a larger pool of properties. For example, instead of renting a property on your own at $400 you can access properties upwards of $800 if you share with one other person. These properties tend to be larger, in suburbs closer to amenities and still cost you the same amount in rent.
  • By renting with another person today, you can future proof the opportunity to own a home in the future. Just like when you co-own a home, co-living in a rental property means that you halve the ongoing cost of rent, bills and other expenses (like food if you decide to share). By increasing your capacity to save more, and in less time, you can improve the amount of deposit you save- enabling you to own a home in half the time!
  • Using our unique algorithm to find your Maybe Mate, may actually also enable you to find your Mortgage Mate. By sharing a home with someone in a rental, you can get to know them, talk about future plans and potentially go on to co-own a home together!

 

  • You may be reading this thinking I already rent a house with room mates, house mates or tenants and that’s great! It’s never to late to apply the idea of co-owning to your current situation. If you are already living with amazing Mates, discuss whether now, or sometime in the future, you may like to co-own a home together. The sooner you ask, the sooner you can start your homeownership journey.

Mortgage Mates- providing housing choice for all Australians through co-ownership.

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