This policy relates to Part 2 of Housing Regulation 2009, division 2 of the NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010, and the Housing NSW Charging Rent Policy.
POLICY STATEMENT
I. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the process for calculation of rent payable by tenants of Southern Cross Housing (SCH) social housing properties.
II. Definitions
Market rent is rent paid for similar properties within the local rental market.
Rebated rent is the amount a tenant must pay when we calculate rent as a percentage of the tenant’s assessable household income plus any Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
The rent subsidy is the difference between rebated rent and the market rent for a property.
III. Coverage
This policy applies to all SCH managed social housing properties.
IV. Principles
The maximum amount payable for a social housing property by any tenant will be market rent. This is the amount shown on Residential Tenancy Agreements and is the maximum rent the tenant will be expected to pay, as varied by rent reviews. However, social housing tenants may be eligible to pay rebated rent, based on their household income. Rebated rent for social housing will be reviewed six monthly, or when a tenant advises a change in household members or incomes. Rebated rent will be calculated in accordance with the NSW Community Housing Rent Policy. The minimum amount of rent a tenant or a household member will pay is $5 per week.
This will only occur where a tenant or household member:
is not eligible for Centrelink benefits, for example, because they are in custody, or
enters rehabilitation or health care and is required to pay for that accommodation.
More information on minimum rent is available in the SCH Absence from Property policy.
Tenants will be informed of any changes to their rent in a letter.
V. Responsibilities
The Tenancy team is responsible for reviewing market rent, and the Access and Demand team are responsible for reviewing rebated rent.
