Let's be honest: finding a house to rent in Australia can turn into a real pain: it is not easy, especially because the cost of rents in recent years has risen a lot. Finding something decent and affordable often turns into a nightmare. But of consolation is the fact that once you have found a house or an apartment, the rest of the process is very simple. In fact, in Australia the rule is to make the whole rental process as easy and fast as possible because there is a lot of people coming and going.

For the initial research I personally relied on the websites, because you can see the photos of the property and you can already make a first selection. Furthermore, there are also the classic ads in the newspapers of the various cities and towns around the country.
You will find the ads of the major real estate agencies in the city where you are looking for.
In general, in the ads belonging to real estate agencies, you will also find when the house or apartment is open, basically an open day is a set date on which the property is open to anyone who wants to visit it, obviously with the presence of the real estate agent but without an appointment.
Once you have found your perfect home in Australia you will have to make a proposal: there will be a form to fill out where you will have to give your details, references and possibly an alternative proposal to the cost of the rent. You will also have to give the cost of the first week's rent to prove your real interest. If the proposal is rejected, they will return your money, but if the owner likes you then you can proceed with the signing of the contract.
It costs absolutely nothing to sign a contract here unlike in Italy.
You just need to provide the rental deposit (usually one month) which will be returned to you at the end of the contract, your identity documents and therefore your Australian passport or driving license, and that's all.
They normally give you the option to choose whether to pay the rent weekly, every two weeks or every month and the contracts can be of varying duration depending on the type of property you rent: from one month to a year or more. If, as the expiry of the contract approaches, you decide not to renew it, you must notify 21 days before the expiry (but the days may vary depending on the agency and the contract). If, on the other hand, you terminate the contract earlier, you will face penalties.
Each agency has its own rules and clauses, so always read very well all the small print.
It is common for the agency to make a report with attached photos of the state of the property, highlighting any defects or damage present before your entry so when you leave the house there will obviously be a check.
In addition, about two months after the signing of the contract, the agency could make an announced visit called rent inspection, in order to check the status of the property and make sure that you are actually reliable tenants.
If they have any doubts or if the owner of the place is particularly picky they may decide to come back every two or three months to check on tenants.

Overall, the process is quite simple and straightforward and rental agreements are not very lengthy.
Although there are many apartments in Sydney it is hard to find a place because it seems like every Australian wants or needs to move into the city but Australians also change home often so with some patience it is possible to find a place.