I’m from Canada and will never understand this ‘crazy’ thing Australian renters think is normal

A Canadian expat living in Australia can’t focus on a ‘bizarre’ detail in most rental properties Down Under.

The man was surprised when he realized that he would have to purchase his own white goods, such as a refrigerator, washing machine and dryer, if he rented an unfurnished house.

‘Why do Australian renters own their own fridges?’ he asked on Reddit.

Having lived half his life in Canada and the other half in Australia, he was surprised that most rental properties did not have all electrical appliances.

‘It seems strange that rental companies don’t offer a refrigerator that fits in the space, so that tenants don’t have to bring their own. Refrigerators are also not easy to move. Thousands of people drag refrigerators through the city every year. Why is this?’

An Australian revealed that every appliance supplied by a landlord had to be tested and labeled by an electrician every two years in Victoria, while other states have similar laws.

‘When was the last time you had a home appliance checked by an electrician while it was still working, “just in case”? A major barrier to supplying devices,” he said.

A few stated that it was common in Australia to own your own large electrical appliances.

“In Australia, people tend to own furniture and white goods, either passed down from their parents or from previous homes,” said one.

‘It’s better to use your own equipment rather than a landlord’s, which may be old, have inefficient energy consumption and are probably included in the rental price. Our rent is already high enough.’

Many Australians also claimed this was because supplying a fridge would be an extra ‘hassle’ for a landlord, and they preferred to use their own white goods.

“If landlords supplied them they would have to pay to fix them,” one person commented.

‘You know [how] is it difficult to get them to fix a leaky roof? Imagine that, but for a refrigerator!’ said another.

‘Also something to hold the deposit: ‘You left a piece of sweet chili sauce at the bottom of the refrigerator. That costs $400 to clean,” one woman wrote.

Some said they “couldn’t think of anything more disgusting than using a refrigerator that has been used by other people.”

Other expats shared their own views on this.

‘I have only rented furnished in the UK and unfurnished in Australia. “I thought it was very strange that you are expected to bring your own furniture to a house you don’t own,” one woman said.

‘I’m from the US. Before moving to Australia, I rented in six states for nineteen years and every place had a refrigerator. There was often a common area with commercial washers and dryers and I brought my own microwave,” one man said.

‘In Germany and other European countries you don’t even have a kitchen. Nothing at all, just an empty room where you should put your own kitchen. No sink, stove, cupboards or anything like that.

‘But they also have rental contracts for more than a year and there is no real estate agent who sticks his nose every six weeks to ensure that you sweep the floor.’