Booking open inspections and planning a viewing day

1Does an open inspection mean my rental application is approved?

An open inspection is a viewing during an advertised time slot; follow its registration instructions, but a viewing registration does not approve your rental application or reserve the home.

An agent arranges an open inspection and advertises the start and end time. Use the window to assess the property and ask questions before deciding whether to apply. Attending does not establish approval or reserve the property.

If no time is advertised, contact the advertising agent for an appointment. An ordinary rental open inspection and a student accommodation tour have separate arrangements; a building tour time does not establish a common schedule for other properties.

2How do I complete a required viewing registration?

Use the listing's registration process, submit the required details and selected time, keep confirmation and check cancellation, time and access changes before travelling.

Use the viewing entry for that listing to register the requested contact details and time. Save the confirmation with the full address. Adding an event to your own calendar alone does not register you with the agent.

Check messages the evening before and before departure for cancellation, time or entry changes. If confirmation is missing or inconsistent, contact the advertising agent rather than relying on an old screenshot.

Request a new appointment if you cannot make it and attend after receiving a workable time. Once the advertised window has ended, rebook rather than assuming the agent is still at the door.

3How many inspections can I fit into one day?

The number depends on viewing windows and real travel times, including leaving, travelling and entering; choose between clashes or request a different appointment.

Group nearby candidates and calculate departure, travel and entry time separately. Overlapping windows still require time to get between properties; comparing start times alone misses the constraint.

The worked schedule below assumes three properties and twenty minutes of travel on each leg, leaving ten minutes of buffer each time. Substitute your real windows and route. If the journey does not fit, prioritise one property and seek another appointment for the other.

After each visit, label the address, photos and open questions before moving on. Mark what could not be checked so you do not confuse the furniture in one property with the bills or start date for another when deciding later.

4What should I check during a short inspection?

Check locks, damp and equipment you have permission to try, then furniture, bills and move-in dates; obtain written answers on untested items and promised repairs before signing.

Start with doors, locks and damp around corners and cupboards, then test water and equipment where permitted. Check heating, phone reception, internet access points and furniture spaces. Obtain permission before photos and use the detailed viewing checklist.

Before leaving, ask about supplied furniture and appliances, included bills and the available date. Put untested equipment and promised repairs or replacements into written questions and obtain answers before signing.

If interested, submit a separate rental application through the channel specified by the agent with genuine supporting material and retain the record. Viewing registration only arranges the inspection; it does not submit an application.

5Is an inspection fee the same as a NSW holding fee?

A residential inspection fee is different from a NSW holding fee after approval; check the state, purpose and receipt rather than treating a pre-viewing payment as a valid holding fee.

Ordinary residential viewings cannot be charged to renters in Victoria or NSW. If payment is demanded before access to a viewing, retain the request and advertisement and raise it with the state rental authority.

For NSW residential rentals, a holding fee can be requested only after approval, is capped at one week of rent and goes towards rent on signing. The rental provider cannot sign with another person during the first seven days or a longer agreed period (NSW Fair Trading, checked 9 Nov 2026).

If the renter then does not sign, the provider may retain the fee, with exceptions for matters such as undisclosed material facts or misrepresentation. Review the agreement and property before paying and keep the receipt; it is not an unrestricted refundable booking payment.

6How do I arrange student accommodation or remote viewings?

Confirm the building, actual room type, viewing method and time, and record what remains unchecked; viewing is separate from applying and signing.

For student accommodation, establish the building, available room types, location and time, and whether the tour is on site or by video. Ask an adviser about the particular arrangements; a video option for one room does not establish coverage for every building or room.

If away, arrange a trusted person to inspect an ordinary rental in person where possible and retain the advertisement and correspondence. Record what a video cannot show or test and follow up before signing.

A student tour is followed by the separate application and agreement process. Check the room, occupancy, term, bond and bills, and use the page for current prices. A tour confirmation does not reserve accommodation.

Record whether the viewing is a display room or the actual room. A trusted on-site person can support continuous video and record smell, noise and untested equipment. Viewing, applying, approval and written allocation remain separate steps.