Policy Statement
Policy Detail
Assessment Criteria
Evidence Requirements
Appealing Decisions or Actions
Legislative Requirements
Policy Statement
Housing NSW recognises that establishing a tenancy in the private rental market can be difficult to negotiate and may have high set up costs. The Rentstart scheme provides a range of financial assistance for eligible clients to help them enter or cope in the private rental market.
The type and level of assistance provided is based on the client’s individual circumstances and needs and is intended to:
- Assist clients to establish or keep a sustainable tenancy in the private sector
- Provide quick financial help with housing related costs to clients in need, particularly those facing homelessness
- Assist tenants whom Housing NSW has assessed as ineligible for a further public housing lease due to their income and assets to make the move to private rental accommodation.
Application to Aboriginal Housing Office clients
This policy applies to clients of the Aboriginal Housing Office living in properties managed by Housing NSW.
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Policy Detail
There are four main types of Rentstart assistance. Rentstart Standard, Rentstart Plus; Tenancy Assistance; and Rentstart Move. Assistance will not be provided where the applicant is moving into public housing or community housing.
1. Rentstart Standard
Housing NSW will pay:
- Up to 75% of bond (paid directly to the Rental Bond Board).
Assistance is generally limited to once in a 12 month period. Additional assistance within a 12 month period may be given to clients:
- Who have had a significant change in their housing need which requires them to move, or
- Need to move to maintain links to essential medical and support services
- Where the previous tenancy for which assistance was provided is/will be ended due to sale of the property.
In some cases, Housing NSW will only contribute 50% of bond. This will happen when:
- The client has already received Rentstart in the past 12 months; and
- Housing NSW's contribution to the previous bond was not refunded at the end of the tenancy, and no acceptable reason is provided.
Clients who have moved from an ‘at risk’ situation such as those escaping domestic violence or harassment and are unable to recover the bond may receive 75% of bond.
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2. Rentstart Plus
Rentstart Plus provides additional assistances for people facing severe financial barriers to private rental, severe housing stress or who are homeless. The applicant must satisfy Rentstart Plus eligibility and be able to demonstrate that homelessness will result if assistance is not provided.
Housing NSW will pay:
- Up to 75% of bond* (paid directly to the Rental Bond Board)
- Up to 2 weeks advance rent (3 weeks for furnished accommodation), or
- Up to 4 weeks rent in temporary accommodation.
Assistance with the payment of key money or security bonds may also be provided to clients moving into accommodation such as caravan parks, boarding houses and hostels. Housing NSW will pay up to 75% of key money or security bonds.
* For some Rentstart Plus eligible clients in especially high need, 75% of bond will be insufficient assistance because their particular circumstances have left them without any financial resources. In these cases Housing NSW may pay up to 100% of the bond.
Temporary Accommodation
Under Rentstart Plus, payment for temporary accommodation may be offered if the client meets the criteria for Rentstart Plus but it would be impractical to assist with private rental.
Accommodation costs may be paid for lower cost accommodation such as caravan parks and motels. Assistance cannot be paid for clients moving into Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) funded properties. However, it can be paid to assist clients who are moving out of SAAP funded properties.
If a Housing NSW staff member refers a client to a property, they must ensure that the accommodation cost is paid to the owner or their approved manager or agent and that the property is fit for habitation.
Temporary accommodation can be offered more than once in a 12-month period for a total of up to four weeks. In extreme circumstances, the 4 week period can be extended for a further 2 weeks. This extension is appropriate where it can lead to a better long-term solution for the client or where it provides accommodation for a client who would otherwise be homeless.
If eligible, clients may subsequently receive Rentstart (Standard or Plus) assistance within 12 months.
Subsequent assistance for Temporary Accommodation will not be provided where a landlord has taken action against a client for nuisance and annoyance or wilful property damage. The only exception to this is where Housing NSW is satisfied that the problems will not happen again.
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Temporary Accommodation for Children and Young Persons not accompanied by an adult
Under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998:
- a child is under 16 years of age;
- a young person is aged 16 years or above but under 18 years of age.
Child – a homeless child (unaccompanied by a parent or guardian) is not eligible for Temporary Accommodation assistance and must be referred to DOCs.
Young Person – the additional criteria a young person must meet to be eligible for public housing are waived if the young person is applying for temporary accommodation and is homeless and unable to find alternative accommodation.
Staff are able to make a report to DoCS about a homeless young person if:
- the young person has given their consent for DoCS to be contacted; or
- there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the young person is at risk of harm or presents as homeless. In this case it is mandatory for staff to report to DoC’s (no consent is required from the young person in this instance).
For further information on how Housing NSW responds to child abuse and neglect, see the Child Protection Policy EST0123A.
Taxation
For taxation purposes, Housing NSW requires valid tax invoices for the provision of temporary accommodation to clients of Housing NSW. Therefore, Housing NSW prefers to engage temporary accommodation providers who are GST registered.
Housing NSW seeks to enter into agreements with providers that enable it to issue Recipient Created Tax Invoices (RCTI’s) on behalf of providers. Providers need to be GST registered and have an ABN number to enter such an agreement. Where providers have not entered into a formal agreement, then other arrangements can be used as required to allow temporary accommodation to be provided.
Where possible Housing NSW will trade with organisations that are registered with an ABN.
3. Rentstart Tenancy Assistance
Rentstart Tenancy Assistance will be provided once in a 12 month period. This assistance is for clients in a private rental property who are facing eviction because of rental arrears incurred as a result of unexpected costs.
Unexpected costs may include (without limitation), those costs resulting from:
- a car accident;
- funeral arrangements;
- unexpected illness or injury.
Under these circumstances, Housing NSW will pay:
- Maximum 4 weeks rent arrears.
However, if a client re-applies for this assistance more than once within a 2 year period, assistance with rent arrears will be provided for:
- Maximum 2 weeks for unfurnished dwellings,
- Maximum 3 weeks for furnished dwellings.
Except where the situation may lead to other dependant household members being placed at risk of homelessness, if no assistance is provided by Housing NSW. In this case, full Tenancy Assistance may be provided.
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4. Rentstart Move
Tenants who are leaving public housing at the end of their fixed term lease because they have been assessed as ineligible for a further lease are not entitled to Rentstart Standard, Rentstart Plus (including Temporary Accommodation) or Rentstart Tenancy Assistance. Housing NSW recognises that these tenants may face difficulties in meeting the costs of relocating. In this case, the tenant may access Rentstart Move.
Housing NSW will pay:
- Up to 75% of a rental bond (paid directly to the Rental Bond Board).
Additional bond assistance (for example, under Rentstart Plus) is not available for 12 months after Rentstart Move has been issued.
Applications for public housing are not affected by receipt of Rentstart Move.
Applying for Rentstart
In most cases, Rentstart is provided by the Housing Contact Centre (HCC). This is for Bond and Advanced Rent only. Rentstart services are also available at local offices.
Clients are entitled to have their application for Rentstart (Standard, Plus and Tenancy Assistance) assessed within 1 working day. In some cases however, assessment may take longer where Housing NSW is waiting on full information from the applicant. Generally, all Rentstart assistance is limited to once in a 12 month period.
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Assessment criteria
Rent Must be Affordable
Housing NSW will not provide Rentstart assistance for housing that is clearly beyond the client’s financial means. The rent paid for the property should not exceed 50% of the household’s total gross weekly income, unless the client can demonstrate:
- An ability to meet reasonable living expenses, and
- That the tenancy is likely to be sustained for up to 12 months;
Table 1: Assessment criteria for each Rentstart product
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Type of Assistance |
Assessment Criteria |
|
Rentstart Standard |
To be eligible for Rentstart Standard, a client must:
- Be eligible for public housing;
- Intend to remain in that particular location, and the tenancy is likely to be sustained, for up to 12 months (that is, they are not on vacation or a tourist);
- Be able to sustain a tenancy in the private rental market; and
- Have less than $1000 in cash assets.
Housing NSW recognises that when applying the eligibility criteria for Rentstart there are certain groups of clients that may require special consideration.
Housing NSW will give special consideration to the needs of clients with a disability and SAS approved clients who apply for Rentstart Standard, Plus or Tenancy Assistance.
These clients may be eligible and have in excess of $1000 cash assets put aside if it can be shown by the client that these savings are essential to:
- Meet their medical bills
- Pay carer costs
- Buy special medical equipment, or
- Meet the costs of other essential services.
The cost of their disability, as documented by health or community experts, will be taken into account when considering eligibility for Rentstart. |
| Rentstart Plus |
Clients who can demonstrate severe difficulty in meeting the costs of a tenancy may be eligible for additional help through Rentstart Plus.
To be eligible for Rentstart Plus a client must meet the eligibility criteria for Rentstart Standard as well as demonstrating significant reason for establishing a new tenancy, including:
- Moving away from an ‘at risk’ situation;
- Terminating the current private tenancy due to eviction or expiry of lease;
- Moving out of substandard or overcrowded accommodation;
- Medical condition or disability being affected by current accommodation;
- Refugees or humanitarian entrants recently arrived in Australia;
- Opportunity to access employment or training;
- Currently homeless or in short term accommodation;
AND have:
- Severely limited access to financial or other resources such as essential furnishings to sustain the tenancy (for example resettlement costs for refugees), or
- Additional costs such as medical or disability-related costs, including carer costs and future children.
Clients moving out of public or community housing association managed housing may, however, be granted some assistance through Rentstart Plus if they are suffering severe circumstances or facing eviction which is not the result of a breach of their Tenancy Agreement. They must satisfy Rentstart Plus eligibility and be able to demonstrate that if not provided assistance, it may cause homelessness.
Bond or advance rent will not be provided for clients moving into public or community housing association managed housing.
'At risk' factors for determining eligibility for Rentstart Plus assistance
There are many situations in which the personal safety or the mental health of an applicant or another member of their household may be ‘at risk’ including:
- Domestic violence
- Sexual, physical or emotional abuse
- Child abuse or neglect
- Threatening behaviour by one or more household members against another occupant
- Torture and trauma.
Housing NSW will treat these situations confidentially and sensitively. |
| Rentstart Move
|
To be eligible for Rentstart Move an applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be a Housing NSW tenant or joint tenant (not an additional occupant, however they are eligible to apply for other Rentstart Housing Products) who is leaving public housing at the end of their fixed term lease because they have been assessed as ineligible for a further lease.
- Rent and all other Housing NSW tenancy accounts be at a $nil balance or in credit.
- Have less than $5000 in cash assets.
- Not own or part own any residential or commercial property.
- Meet the Rentstart Move income limits as set out in the Eligibility for Public Housing Policy.
Where a client has already moved they may still receive assistance, if they:
- Are eligible for Rentstart Move; and
- Have taken out an interest payable loan with a commercial institution to pay for the costs; and
- Can provide proof of the loan; and
- Apply for reimbursement within four weeks of the move.
Once approved, Rentstart funds will be paid to the agent or the landlord as advance rent on the client's behalf.
Applications for Rentstart Move will be accepted before the Housing NSW tenancy has ended and up to (and including) 4 weeks after the fixed term public housing lease has ended.
Joint tenants who separate at the end of their public housing lease may each apply for Rentstart Move. |
|
Rentstart Tenancy Assistance |
To be eligible for Rentstart Tenancy Assistance the client must be eligible for Rentstart Standard and have:
- Arrears which are the result of unexpected circumstances outside the control of the client.
- Received a notice of termination (not including notices issued by Housing NSW).
- A household income sufficient to meet future rent.
- An agreement with the agent or landlord to continue the tenancy for up to 12 months, but
- Be unable to negotiate, with the landlord or estate agent, a repayment plan for the rental arrears.
When rent arrears are a result of the client’s actions, assistance may be provided if other dependent household members are at risk of homelessness.
The paying of rental arrears must also be more cost effective than any other Housing NSW service.
Public housing tenants leaving public housing due to ineligibility for a further lease at the end of their fixed term lease are not entitled to Rentstart Tenancy Assistance towards any arrears owing on their Housing NSW tenancy. |
|
Temporary Accommodation |
A client who is eligible for Temporary Accommodation will usually be:
- Facing imminent homelessness
- Unable to find alternative accommodation
- At risk, or
- Facing a short wait for a more permanent housing solution such as some circumstances where a person has been approved for priority housing.
|
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Clients receiving Special Assistance Subsidy
Clients currently receiving Special Assistance Subsidy can also apply for Rentstart. They will, however, not be assisted with advance rent. They are not required to demonstrate a significant change in their housing need to be able to seek Rentstart assistance more than once in a 12 month period.
Ineligible clients
Clients are generally ineligible for Rentstart if they:
- Are moving into a property which they are buying or which they own;
- Are moving into, or between, public or community housing provider managed housing;
- Are public housing tenants moving out of public or community housing provider managed housing into the private rental market for reasons other than ending their fixed term lease, for example, eviction, gaol or voluntarily (including Rentstart Move);
- Are moving into a SAAP funded property;
- Have made a false declaration on an application for Rentstart Any false declaration on an application for Rentstart will exclude the client from assistance for two years.
Other Circumstances
Former unsatisfactory public housing tenants who owe money to Housing NSW or who have been evicted, may be considered for Rentstart. This does not include public housing tenants who are leaving public housing because they are ineligible for a further lease at the end of their fixed term lease. Under these circumstances the tenant may apply for Rentstart Move at the time they are leaving public housing. Rentstart Move eligibility states that rent and other account balances must be $nil balance or credit, for more information go to the Rentstart Move section of this policy.
Shared tenancies
Multiple applicants who are unrelated and propose to live in a single shared tenancy will each have their eligibility assessed separately as a single person. An individual can only be assisted for their share of the establishment costs provided their weekly gross income is no greater than $410.00, with cash assets no greater than $1000.00.
Multiple applicants who apply for Rentstart assistance as a family unit, are related (for example husband and wife) and who are proposing to live in a shared tenancy, will have their income eligibility assessed jointly.
Temporary residents
Asylum seekers with bridging visas may be eligible for Rentstart while they wait for a decision on their application for refugee status. To be eligible they must demonstrate that they can afford to sustain the tenancy. They must provide supporting documentation with their completed Application Form.
Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) Holders are temporary entrants and may be eligible for:
- Rentstart
- Emergency temporary accommodation in exceptional circumstances; and
- Assistance through CAP/SAAP funded programs.
Clients who have already moved and are seeking reimbursement for costs
These clients may still receive assistance, if they:
- Are eligible for Rentstart; and
- Have taken out an interest payable loan with a commercial institution to pay for the costs; and
- Can provide proof of the loan; and
- Apply for reimbursement within four weeks of the move.
Once approved, Rentstart funds will be paid to the agent or landlord as advance rent on the client’s behalf.
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Assessing affordability
All forms of income are included in the calculation of household income to determine affordability of rent, including maintenance, Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B and other allowances that are not included in assessment of Housing NSW’s eligibility.
Commonwealth Rent Assistance is calculated as a 100% contribution towards the rent, for example if a single person receives Newstart Allowance of $218.55pw and Commonwealth Rent Assistance of $53.60pw Housing NSW will assess this income as follows:
|
$218.55 |
@ |
50% |
= |
$109.28 |
|
$53.60 |
@ |
100% |
= |
$53.60 |
|
|
|
|
|
$162.88 |
In this example a rent in excess of $162.87pw is not likely to be sustainable.
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Evidence requirements
All applicants for Rentstart must demonstrate that they meet the eligibility requirements for public housing. These requirements are set out in detail in the policy Eligibility for Public Housing ALL0030A. The main requirements of this policy as they relate to Rentstart are summarised in the table below however where there is any doubt the policy Eligibility for Public Housing ALL0030A should be referred to.
Table 2: Evidence requirements
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Situation |
Evidence |
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Eligibility for public housing
1.Proof of Identity
|
Applicants will be asked to establish their identity by showing any TWO documents from the list below.
- Birth certificate
- Baptism certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Social Security or Pensioner Benefit Card
- A recent tax assessment
- A current passport
- Motor vehicle driver’s licence
- Motor vehicle registration form
- A savings bank passbook for an account that is used regularly or a current bank statement
- Evidence of rent repayments over a reasonable time
- Health insurance documents
- Medicare card
- Evidence of credit accounts or hire purchase agreements
- Identification by a person acceptable to Housing NSW (for example, a representative of the Department of Community Services, Centrelink or other welfare agency, but not Housing NSW employees)
- Department of Corrective Services Release Card.
These documents can be shown to Housing NSW in the following ways:
- Faxed to Housing NSW along with a Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) application
- Scanned and emailed to Housing NSW along with an emailed Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) application
- Shown to a Housing NSW staff or staff of another government agency. The staff must fill out and sign the ‘office use only’ section of Part A of the application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) form before it is faxed or emailed to the Housing Contact Centre.
- Shown to a registered real estate agent. In this case the real estate agent must fill out and sign the ‘office use only’ section of Part A of the application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) form before it is faxed or emailed to the Housing Contact Centre.
- Shown to Housing NSW staff when applying for Rentstart at a local office.
Applicants also need to provide proof of identity for each person over 18 years listed on their application. Again, TWO documents from the list above must be shown to establish the identity of each applicant.
Housing NSW will not accept the same document as proof of both income and identity. |
|
2. Proof of Australian residency or citizenship
Applicants must be Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens granted the Special Category Visa who are not under a sponsorship arrangement.
|
Applicants will be asked to provide one of the following for each person over 18 years listed on their application:
- An Australian birth certificate, or
- A current Australian passport, or
- A current passport if not an Australian citizen, or
- Australian citizenship certificate/papers.
See the policy Eligibility for Public Housing ALL0030A for further information about these requirements.
These documents can be shown to Housing NSW in the following ways:
- Faxed to Housing NSW along with a Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) application
- Scanned and emailed to Housing NSW along with an emailed Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) application
- Shown to a Housing NSW staff or staff of another government agency. The staff must fill out and sign the ‘office use only’ section of Part A of the application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) form before it is faxed or emailed to the Housing Contact Centre.
- Shown to a registered real estate agent. In this case the real estate agent must fill out and sign the ‘office use only’ section of Part A of the application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) form before it is faxed or emailed to the Housing Contact Centre.
- Shown to Housing NSW staff when applying for Rentstart at a local office.
|
|
3. Proof of Income |
Applicants must provide proof of all income received by all members of the household aged 18 years and over. Any documents provided as verification of income must be original.
Centrelink income:
- For Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) requested by fax or email, Housing NSW can verify Centrelink income by using Centrelink’s Single Enquiry Service (SES). Applicants must sign the Centrelink consent on page 3 of the Application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) to authorise this.
- For all Rentstart applications, Housing NSW can verify Centrelink income directly with Centrelink where the applicant or members of their household participate in the Income Confirmation Scheme. For more details refer to Income Confirmation Scheme (EST0200A) policy
- An income Statement from Centrelink (for any Centrelink payments)
- An income Statement from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Other sources of income
- Current earnings as evidenced by:
- payslips with year to date earnings and other details as outlined in Part D of the Application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent) or Form B
- employer statement or letter confirming personal details, nature and period of employment and other details as outlined in Form B or Part D of the Application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent), or
- in Part D of the Application for Rentstart (Bond and Advance Rent)
- a Form B completed by the client’s employer/s
- A profit and loss statement completed by an accountant or a taxation return for self employed clients
- A letter or statement from an overseas government detailing the amount received
- A letter or statement from WorkCover or insurance company detailing the amount received
- A letter or statement from investment organisation about savings/investments, etc, providing details of the amount or dividend received
- A completed Housing NSW Land and Property Ownership (DH3013) form
- A letter from another organisation or income provider (not listed above) detailing the amount and type of income received.
Further information about how income and and assets are assessed to determine eligibility for public housing can be found in the policy Eligibility for Public Housing ALL0030A. |
|
Proof of cash assets |
The applicant needs to demonstrate that they have less than $1000 in cash assets. An example of what documents they may require to prove this includes:
- A letter or statement from a bank or an investment organisation about savings/investments, etc, providing details of the amount or dividend received. See policy Eligibility for Public Housing ALL0030A
|
|
Proof of arrears for Tenancy Assistance |
One or more of the following documents are required:
- Statement of Account detailing the arrears;
- Notice of termination;
- Letter undertaking to preserve security of tenancy subject to no further breaches of agreement;
- Notice from Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal.
|
|
Evidence of eligibility for Rentstart Plus
Households at risk |
The evidence required for Rentstart Plus is the same as for Rentstart Standard – however, the applicant must demonstrate severe difficulty in meeting the cost of the tenancy.
The applicant must provide documents to support their Rentstart application on the grounds that they or a member of their household is ‘at risk’. The number and type of documents will vary according to the circumstances, but may include:
- Police reports
- An Apprehended Violence Order (AVO)
- Medical assessment form
- Reports from a doctor, health professional, social worker or a community support agency such as a refuge, Community Centre or Neighbourhood Centre worker
- Support letter from STARTTS.
|
|
Evidence of eligibility for Rentstart Move
|
The income and asset documents provided during the fixed term lease review can be used to assess eligibility – provided they are not more than 6 months old. |
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Appealing Decisions or Actions
If a client disagrees with a decision Housing NSW has made, they should first discuss their concerns with a Housing NSW staff member. The next step if they still believe we made the wrong decision is to ask for a formal review of the decision. For information on how reviews work, a client can ask a Housing NSW staff member for a copy of the fact sheet ‘Reviewing Decisions’ or read the Appeals and Review of Decisions Policy.
Legislative requirements
Housing Act 2001
Residential Tenancy Act 1987
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