My Tenancy

How and when to pay your rent

You can pay your rent weekly or fortnightly, but it must always be paid two weeks in advance.

You can pay in two simple, reliable ways:

1. Centrepay (for Centrelink customers) 

• Centrepay is a free service that automatically pays your rent from your Centrelink payments.
• You can set it up using myGov, the Express Plus Centrelink app, at a Service Centre, or by calling us on 1300 312 447.
• You’ll need your Centrelink Customer Reference Number and Housing Choices Australia’s Customer Reference Number. If you are not sure where to find this, please contact your Housing Officer.
• Click here to read more about Centrepay

2. BPAY 

• BPAY is a secure and reliable way of paying rent from your bank.
• To set up rent payments log in to your bank’s app, website or phone banking service.
• Choose the pay bills or payment section and enter our Biller code and your BPAY reference number.
• Set up ongoing payments so your rent is always paid on time.
• Call us on 1300 312 447 if you need our Biller code your unique BPAY reference number.

How we is my rent calculated?

Your eligibility to apply for a home under a particular housing program is determined by a number of factors including your combined household income.

The actual rent you pay and how it is calculated then depends on whether your home is part of a social or affordable housing program.

Social housing rents

Depending on the program, social housing rents are charged as a percentage of household income plus 100 per cent of your Commonwealth Rental Assistance (CRA) entitlement. For more information see Department of Human Services – Rent Assistance.

The percentage depends on the state you live in and the particular housing program that you have accessed. The maximum percentage of household income we charge is 30 per cent.

For more information about how your rent is calculated, please refer to the Housing Choices Rent Setting Policy or contact your Housing Officer.

How we review your rent

Housing Choices Australia reviews household incomes every six months and payable rent is calculated based on that income.

When your income review is due, we will ask you to complete and return an Eligibility and Rent Assessment form and provide proof of income for everyone over the age of 16 living in your property.

Completing income review paperwork is very important. If we don’t receive all the information we need, you may be charged maximum rent for your property.

If you have difficulty completing forms or providing proof of income, please call us on 1300 312 447, or email us at [email protected].

Changes in household circumstances

It’s important you let Housing Choices know if people move in or out of your home, as this will change your household income, and may affect your rent.

Please notify your Housing Officer within 14 days if any of the following changes occur:

• A household member begins or stops working.
• There is a new (approved) household member.
• A household member leaves.
• A household member’s work hours and income change.
• If a Centrelink benefit changes (eg. when a child turns 16 and you no longer receive family tax and/or parenting payments).
• A child turns 18.

Please contact your Housing Officer by phoning 1300 312 447 or emailing [email protected] if you have any questions about how your rent may change if your household circumstances change.

Affordable housing rents

Affordable housing rents are based on what is known as the market rent. The market rent reflects what it would cost to rent the property through a private landlord. Affordable housing rates will be no more than 74.99 per cent of the market rent for a property.

Market rent is reviewed and adjusted, generally on an annual basis.

How we notify you of your new rent

We will always notify you in writing of your new rent. Your letter will:

• Confirm your continued eligibility for affordable housing.
• Tell you what your rent calculation formula is, and if it has changed.
• What your new amount is.
• The date your new rent starts.
• What amount of assessable income was used and your Commonwealth Rent Assistance entitlement.

Please phone your Housing Officer on 1300 312 447 or email [email protected] if you have any questions about how your rent has been calculated.

Ending your tenancy

You may find yourself in a situation where you want to end your tenancy agreement with Housing Choices Australia. To do this you must provide at least 281 days notice of intention to vacate. Notice to your Housing Officer must be in writing either by email, post, in person or by fax.

The notice must:

• Be signed and dated
• Give the date when you will be giving vacant possession (removed all your belongings and handed in the keys)
• Include the reason for ending the tenancy

We will acknowledge your notice with a letter. This letter will include a checklist for vacating to help you ensure that the property is left in a suitable condition. You may incur a debt and/or lose part of your entire bond if the items on the checklist are not completed.

You will remain responsible for the property and rent until the keys are returned to Housing Choices Australia.

Housing Choices will complete a final outgoing inspection when you have cleaned the property and returned the keys. If there are no outstanding costs, the bond will be refunded to you.

You can telephone your Housing Officer on 1300 312 447 if you are not sure about the procedure, or if you have any questions.

When we visit your home

As a landlord we visit your home for routine property inspections, building condition assessments, to carry out necessary maintenance or when there is an emergency.
Where possible we will always try to negotiate a suitable day and time with you to visit your home.

Routine Property Inspections

As a landlord we can visit you for up to 4 routine inspections per year. This visit is done by your Housing Officer. We will always write to you and give you 7-14 days’ notice your routine inspections.

We know that inspections may be a cause of anxiety or stress for some tenants, but we want to assure you that the purpose of a routine inspection is not to judge you on how you live but to make sure your property is well maintained, safe and to identify any repairs or maintenance issues.

We encourage tenants and / or carers to attend inspections so we can discuss any issues and answer any questions you may have. If you are not able to be home for the inspection, we will use our set of office keys to carry out the inspection at the scheduled day and time.

If possible, please make sure your pet is secured when we visit your home for an inspection. An example of this is putting your dog on a leash or your cat in a carrier.

This is to ensure the safety of our staff as well as the safety of your pet.

If there are any issues with the condition of your home, we will work with you to ensure your property is well maintained.

Building Condition Assessments

Approximately every three years we will visit your home to do a Building Condition Assessment (BCA). This visit is done by staff from our property services team.

These assessments are not routine property inspections. The purpose of the visit is to assess the physical condition of specific items in the property to plan for future upgrades and long-term maintenance.

During these visits our Property Officers will assess the condition of your kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, flooring, and painting in and outside your home to see when they might need replacing.

If you do need to have planned refurbishment works carried out in your home our property services team will work with you to provide all the information you need and make sure you experience as little disruption as possible.

Can I get a pet?

In WA, you need approval from your landlord if you would like to have a pet. We will always approve pets where we can, but we need to check things like legal restrictions, local government regulations and strata-by laws. Any other restrictions need to be approved by the Consumer Protection Commissioner on a case-by-case basis.

If you do get a pet, you may need to pay a Pet Bond of $260 which covers the cost of fumigation of the property if you move out.

To apply for a pet, you can download the form from here or contact your Housing Officer directly to talk about your request.

When do I need to contact Housing Choices WA?

As a tenant it is your responsibility to get in touch with us around matters that impact your tenancy.

Please contact us:

• If someone has moved in or out of your home.
• If anyone in the household has an income that has increased or decreased.
• If you want to keep a pet.
• If you want to make any alteration, addition or modification to the property.
• If you want to leave the property for longer than 4 weeks.
• If you are having problems paying your rent.
• If there is any damage to property or repairs that need to be done

Can I move to another Housing Choices WA property?

If your circumstances change and you need to move to another property, you may be eligible for a transfer.

Due to the ongoing demand for housing, Housing Choices will only consider transfer applications that meet our transfer criteria. Circumstances making you eligible can include a property being too big or small for your needs, or you have a medical issue that makes your property unsuitable. Circumstances that may make you ineligible include being in arrears or being in breach of your tenancy.

When applying for a transfer we encourage tenants to be flexible regarding the type and location of property they wish to move to as this will increase your chances of being transferred. Unfortunately, we can’t advise how long it will take to be transferred as this depends on property availability.

If your need to move is urgent and this is supported by medical or support professionals, you should contact your Tenancy Officer for an assessment.

What happens if I don’t pay my rent on time?

If you are finding it hard to pay your rent and are worried about falling behind with your rent payments, you should contact your Housing Officer as soon as you can.

We will help you to come to an agreement to pay off any money that you owe at a reasonable rate. However, should you fail to keep to this agreement we are entitled to take legal action which may place your tenancy at risk.

I’m in debt. Where can I get help?

There are a number of services that can assist you. Financial counsellors provide information, support and advocacy to help people in financial difficulty. Their services are free, independent and confidential. Contact your Housing Officer, who can provide you with details of financial counselling in your local area.

Could I lose my home if I do not pay my rent?

Your tenancy could be at risk if all of these things happen:

• You fall a long way behind with your rent payments.
• You do not follow the plan you agreed with us to pay the rent you owe.
• You do not stay in contact with us.

At this point, Housing Choices Australia may choose to take action through the Magistrate’s Court.
For more information, read our Hardship Policy on our Policies page.

More information

You can find out more information about rent setting, moving out and other policies and resources by visiting our Policies page.