Tenants must apply to Housing NSW before allowing additional people to live with them. If tenants have unauthorised occupants living with them, their rental subsidy may be cancelled. Friends and relatives who visit tenants for social or holiday purposes are not regarded as Additional/Unauthorised Occupants.
If a tenant deliberately makes a false, incomplete or misleading statement about the income or assets of any member of their household, this is considered Rental Subsidy Fraud. Housing NSW may seek to terminate the tenancy and may also refer the matter to the police.
The Income Confirmation Scheme is a voluntary initiative, where tenants consent to allow Housing NSW to provide their income details electronically to Centrelink.
The confidential information is used to assess an applicant’s eligibility for public housing and a tenant’s ongoing entitlement to a rental subsidy.
Tenants need approval from Housing NSW to be away from their home for more than six weeks. If a tenant is away without approval, Housing NSW may terminate the tenancy, or decide not to offer a further tenancy.
For more information, please see our policy on Absence from Dwelling.
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