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Settling in / Housing

5 countries · official sources · checked 20 October 2026

Find a home to rent in your new country.

Moving abroad for a healthcare job? Before you sign or pay anything: what landlords ask for, how much deposit they may take, your rights as a tenant, where to stay in the first weeks – and how to spot the rental scams that target people moving from abroad.

DE Renting in Germany Flats in the big cities go fast, and landlords expect a complete application folder. A furnished short let for the first months gives you time to collect the payslips and bank details they ask for. €7.28 per m² per month · official figure UK Renting in the United Kingdom England's renting rules changed on 1 May 2026, when the Renters' Rights Act took effect. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws; the guide gives the deposit rules for all four. £1,400 per month · official figure AU Renting in Australia Each state and territory has its own tenancy law and its own authority. In most of them the bond goes to a government bond authority, not into the landlord's account. $375 per week (median) · official figure US Renting in the USA Landlord and tenant law is mostly state law, so deposit limits and return deadlines differ from state to state. Many landlords check applicants with tenant screening reports, which matters if you have no US credit history yet. $1,487 per month (median) · official figure CA Renting in Canada Renting is provincial law, and the provinces differ sharply on deposits – Québec forbids them, Ontario allows only last month's rent. Each province has its own tenancy board. $1,550 per month (average) · official figure

Before you pay anything

Police and consumer authorities in these countries warn about the same signs: a home that is cheaper than it should be, pressure to decide fast, and a request for money before anyone has seen the place.

  1. Never pay a deposit, rent or “key fee” for a home that you, or someone you trust, have not viewed in person – and not before you have a signed contract.

    Advice from Report Fraud (UK police) · Scamwatch (Australia) · Verbraucherzentrale (Germany) · Make it in Germany

  2. The “landlord” is abroad and can't show you the home, but will send the keys by post or courier once you transfer money. This is the classic scam.

    Advice from German police crime prevention · Verbraucherzentrale (Germany) · Scamwatch (Australia) · US Federal Trade Commission

  3. The rent is far below similar homes in the area, or you are pushed to decide and pay quickly.

    Advice from US Federal Trade Commission · Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre · Scamwatch (Australia)

  4. You are asked to pay by money transfer service, gift card or cryptocurrency, or into an account abroad. That is like sending cash – it is rarely recovered.

    Advice from US Federal Trade Commission · Scamwatch (Australia) · Report Fraud (UK police)

  5. Search the address, the photos and the advertiser's name online. Fraudsters copy photos from real listings, and the same home may appear elsewhere with a different owner.

    Advice from Report Fraud (UK police) · US Federal Trade Commission · Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre · Scamwatch (Australia)

  6. Don't send copies of your passport or ID card, or your bank details, to someone you have never met before you have agreed to rent.

    Advice from Verbraucherzentrale (Germany) · US Federal Trade Commission · Scamwatch (Australia)

  7. Fees just to view a home are a warning sign. In Germany, charging for a viewing is not permitted.

    Advice from Make it in Germany · German police crime prevention

  8. If you paid: call your bank at once, keep every message and the listing, and report it (links on each country page). Hang up on anyone who later offers to “recover” your money for a fee.

    Advice from Report Fraud (UK police) · Scamwatch (Australia)

How these guides work

1

Official sources only. Deposit limits, documents and rights come from governments, tenancy authorities and the law itself. Each line links the page we took it from.

2

Rents only where statistics exist. We show an average rent only when a national statistics office or housing agency publishes one – with its date.

3

No listings, no logos. We link the main rental sites as plain links and never copy their ads. Use the checklist for every ad you answer.

Ireland, New Zealand and the Gulf states are planned next. Rules change – always confirm on the official page before you sign or pay. General information, not legal advice.

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