Moving to Perth for FIFO work comes down to five jobs: confirm your roster and your terminal, find a room you have inspected in person, pay bond and rent the way WA law sets out, move your licence and car across, and set the house up for your first swing. Do them in that order and you will not be paying for the wrong room in the wrong suburb.
This checklist covers each step, with the official source for every rule. Everything was checked in October 2026.
What should you sort out before you look for a room?
Three answers from your employer decide almost everything else. If you do not have the job yet, start with FIFO jobs in Perth: who hires and where to look.
- Your roster. 2:1, 8:6, 2:2 or something else. It tells you how many nights you will actually spend in the room. See FIFO rosters explained.
- Your terminal. Perth Airport has two terminal precincts on opposite sides of the airfield: T1 and T2 on one side, T3 and T4 on the other. Ask which one your flights leave from.
- Your start date. Hosts in Perth choose between people on move-in date and length of stay. "From the 14th, for at least six months" gets a reply. "ASAP" does not.
Where should a FIFO worker live in Perth?
Close enough to the airport that an early flight is not a problem, in a house you are happy to come back to. Those two things pull in different directions, so decide which matters more to you. The longer comparison is in where to live in Perth as a FIFO worker.
For the shortest run to the airport, look at the suburbs around it: Redcliffe, Belmont, Cloverdale and Ascot.
For the train, the Airport Line is the thing to know. Airport Central Station is at T1 and T2. T3 and T4 have no station of their own: the free Route 292 bus links them to Redcliffe Station, and Redcliffe is about 15 minutes from the Perth CBD by train, according to the Public Transport Authority. A SmartRider card gives you cheaper fares than cash tickets.
Airport Line and Route 292 (Public Transport Authority)pta.wa.gov.au
For life on your days off, you can live further out, near the river, the beach or your mates, and accept a longer trip on fly-out day: Victoria Park, Fremantle or Scarborough, for example. Check the first train or the drive time against your actual flight before you commit.
Whatever you choose, ask the host about parking. Your car may sit there for two weeks at a time.
How do you find a room when you are not in Perth yet?
Slowly, and without sending money. People looking in Perth describe the same market: more demand than rooms, high prices, and messages that never get a reply. That pressure is what scammers rely on.
- Do not pay a deposit, bond or "holding fee" for a room you have not seen inside. Not for a video, not for photos, not for a promise that keys will be posted.
- If you are arriving from interstate or overseas, book short-term accommodation for your first days and inspect rooms in person.
- If you cannot be there, send someone you trust to walk through it.
- Keep every message, the ad itself and the payment details.
The warning signs are covered in rental scams in Perth: how to spot them before you pay.
When you write to a host, give them what they ask for in their own ads: a bit about you, your work schedule and your lifestyle. Roster, move-in date, length of stay, car, pets. On Kipmates, which is launching in Perth, the roster sits on your profile and rooms show the weekly rent and the move-in date up front, so you can browse rooms by the dates that matter to you. The search itself, from first message to inspection, is covered in finding flatmates in Perth.
What does WA law say about bond and rent?
First work out which kind of agreement you have. It changes what applies to you.
If you are a tenant (your name is on a residential tenancy agreement, or you sub-let from a head tenant), the Residential Tenancies Act applies. Consumer Protection WA sets out these rules:
- The bond can be up to four weeks' rent, unless the rent is over $1,200 a week.
- The bond must be lodged with Bonds Administration within 14 days of being paid. Bonds Administration sends a record of the payment to everyone named on the bond.
- A lessor can only ask for up to two weeks' rent in advance.
- Rent receipts must be issued within three days of the payment being received.
- Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, and tenants cannot be pressured to pay more than the advertised rent.
Rental bonds (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
Paying rent (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
If you are a boarder or lodger, which is common when you rent a room in the home of the person you pay rent to, the Act does not cover you. Consumer Protection says boarders and lodgers still have rights under common law and the Australian Consumer Law, that the landlord can end the agreement at any time unless your agreement says otherwise, and that you should always keep a copy of the signed written agreement. Community legal centre Circle Green adds that a boarder's or lodger's bond does not have to be lodged with the Bond Administrator. How to tell which one you are is in rooming house, boarder or housemate: what's the difference in WA?.
Boarders' and lodgers' rights (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
In practice: get the agreement in writing, with the weekly rent, the bond amount, what the bond covers, the notice period and what is included in the rent. Pay by a method that leaves a record. This article is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, call Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54.
What about your licence and your car?
- Driver's licence. The WA Department of Transport says you can use your interstate or overseas licence for up to three months after moving to WA, and that you must apply for a WA driver's licence within three months of becoming a resident. You apply in person and need proof of a WA address, such as a utility bill.
- Your car. A vehicle registered in another state has to be inspected at an Authorised Inspection Station, then licensed in WA, in person, with the inspection certificate, proof of identity and proof of ownership. Check the Department of Transport page for the deadline that applies to you.
Moving from interstate (WA Department of Transport)transport.wa.gov.au
License a vehicle in WA (WA Department of Transport)transport.wa.gov.au
Book these for an R&R week early on. Both need you there in person, and your first few breaks fill up fast.
What should you set up before your first swing?
You are about to leave a house you have just moved into for a week or two. Sort these out with your housemates first.
- A copy of your agreement and your bond receipt, saved somewhere you can reach from site.
- Photos of your room and its condition on the day you move in.
- Where your car goes, and who has a spare key if it needs to be moved.
- Mail and parcels: who brings them in.
- Bills: included in the rent or split, and how you pay your share while you are away.
- How the household reaches you if something happens to your room.
- The house basics: cleaning, guests, noise. See share house rules that actually work.
The checklist at a glance
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before you look | Confirm roster, terminal, start date and who books flights |
| Before you pay | Inspect the room in person, or send someone you trust |
| Before you pay | Get a written agreement: rent, bond, notice, what is included |
| When you pay | Use a method that leaves a record, and keep the receipt |
| Within 14 days | Tenants: expect a bond record from Bonds Administration |
| Within three months | Apply for your WA driver's licence |
| Early on | Get your car inspected and licensed in WA |
| Before first swing | Agree parking, mail, bills and house rules |
FAQ
How long does it take to find a room in Perth?
There is no official figure, and it varies with your budget, suburb and dates. People looking in Perth describe a competitive market where it can take quite a while. Start before you arrive, but do not pay for anything you have not inspected.
Which Perth suburbs are closest to the airport?
Redcliffe, Belmont, Cloverdale and Ascot sit next to the airport. Redcliffe has a station on the Airport Line, linked to Terminals 3 and 4 by the free Route 292 bus. Airport Central Station is at Terminals 1 and 2.
How much bond can a landlord ask for in WA?
For a residential tenancy, up to four weeks' rent, unless the rent is over $1,200 a week, and it must be lodged with Bonds Administration within 14 days, according to Consumer Protection WA (checked October 2026). Boarders and lodgers are not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so those rules do not apply to them.
Do I have to change my driver's licence when I move to WA?
Yes. The WA Department of Transport says you must apply for a WA driver's licence within three months of becoming a WA resident.
Sources
Checked October 2026.
- Rental bonds, Consumer Protection WA.
- Paying rent, Consumer Protection WA.
- WA Rent Reforms and New rental reforms move in this month (10 July 2024), Consumer Protection WA.
- From the Commissioner: boarders' and lodgers' rights explained (17 September 2025), Consumer Protection WA.
- Boarders and Lodgers fact sheet, Circle Green Community Legal.
- Moving from interstate, Visit or move to WA and License a vehicle in Western Australia, WA Department of Transport.
- Free bus service to help tourists and locals better connect to the Airport Line, Public Transport Authority of Western Australia.
- Public transport to Perth Airport, Perth Airport.
