Your Rent

Western Australia

Your rent is due each fortnight and must be paid two weeks in advance. If you are experiencing difficulties paying your rent, please contact your Tenancy Officer. Your tenancy may be at risk if you fail to take prompt action.

How we calculate your rent

Your household income and assets will determine the rent you pay.

As of Monday 17 February 2020, we will calculate your rent based on the net assessable income and assets of your household.

We exclude some income sources from rent assessments which are called non assessable incomes. These are commonly payments for a specific purpose, not for general living costs. These income sources are reviewed periodically and are subject to change. For a list of our current non assessable Incomes click here.

How we review your rent

Once a year we will ask you to complete and return an Eligibility and Rent Review form to ensure that you are still eligible for community housing and are paying the correct rent. On this form you must provide details of who is living in the property and also provide proof of income for everyone over 16 years of age. You may also need to provide us with information regarding your assets.

Generally, the proof of income you need to provide for everyone in the household (over 16 years) is:

You must also include any other income sources you have such as interest on savings, maintenance, overseas pension etc. The evidence we need for these is detailed on the Eligibility and Rent Review form. If you have difficulty obtaining proof of household income, please contact the Rent Review Officer who sent you the review letter or email rentreview-wa@hcau.org.au.

Please note that Centrelink do not automatically notify us of any changes to your Centrelink payment, so we will always need you to provide your current Income Statement. We are approved by Centrelink to offer their customers the Centrelink Confirmation eServices (CCeS) – Income Confirmation service. If you choose to use this free, confidential service you can authorise Centrelink to provide your income details directly to us. This means that we can carry out your eligibility and rent review without you having to obtain an Income Statement from Centrelink yourself.

Some housing programs we manage require you to provide additional information, such as 12 months proof of income. If you need to do this, we will advise you of what proof you must provide in your rent review letter.

You will need to sign and return the Eligibility and Rent Review form and proof of household income by the date printed on the form. If you don’t do this, we will not be able to confirm that you are still eligible for community housing or calculate your rent according to your household income. If this happens, your rent may increase to Market Rent. In this case, you will need to find alternative housing. It is very important that you return the form promptly. If you are experiencing difficulties with the form, providing proof of income or the timeframe, please contact the Rent Review Officer on the letter or email rentreview-wa@hcau.org.au as soon as possible.

If we need to ask you for more information, we will automatically extend the return date.

In addition to the annual review, we will also re-assess your eligibility and rent if your household income increases or decreases or someone moves in or out of your home. You must notify us within 14 days of any occupancy or change in income.

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 rent is and whether your rent has increased, decreased, varied or remained the same
The date your new rent starts
How much rent assistance is included in the calculation

Please contact the Rent Review Officer who sent you your advice letter or email rentreview-wa@hcau.org.au if you think your new rent is incorrect.

If you are a Centrelink customer, you can use the Electronic Verification of Rent (EVoR) to give us authorisation to let Centrelink know if your rent has changed, so you don’t have to complete a rent certificate and you will automatically receive the correct amount of rent assistance. This service is free, and you can withdraw your authorisation at any time.

Rent changes

Your rent is calculated according to your household income and can increase, decrease, vary or remain the same.

A rent variation is when your rent calculation formula does not change, but your rent increases because your household income has increased. You will receive 15 days’ notice of a rent variation.

Example: A tenant’s rent is calculated according to the Very Low-Income formula. The tenant’s partner moves in and the household income increases. The income is still within the Very Low-income formula, so the rent calculation formula stays the same, but the increased income means the amount of rent they pay increases. The tenant receives 15 days’ notice of the rent variation.

A rent increase is when your rent calculation formula has changed, or when your household income stays the same, but the Market Rent has increased. You will receive 60 days’ notice of a rent increase.

Example: A couple’s rent is calculated according to the Very Low-Income formula. One of the tenants starts full time work and the household income increases. They no longer meet the public housing criteria but still meet the community housing criteria. The rent calculation is changed from the Very Low formula to the Low-Income formula and the increase in household income means an increase in rent. They receive 60 days’ notice of the rent increase.
Example: A tenant’s rent is calculated according to the Very Low-Income formula. Their household income has not changed but the market rent figure has increased, which increases the rent. The tenant receives 60 days’ notice of the rent increase.

Rent decreases can be due to a rent variation or a change in the rent calculation formula. Decreases in rent due to a household change start from the date you notify us. Decreases caused by a decrease in Market Rent at the time of an Annual Review will be effective from the anniversary date of the review.

Example: A tenant’s rent is calculated according to the Very Low-Income formula. Their working hours are reduced by their employer and their income decreases. The tenant remains on the same rent calculation formula and, because their income has decreased, the rent decreases. The new rent will start from the date they notified us of their new wage.
Example: A tenant’s annual review is due on the 1^st March. The tenant’s household income has not changed, but when the review is processed, the rent decreases because Market Rent has decreased. The new rent will start from the 1^st March.

Paying your rent

You can pay your rent by BPAY, internet banking or by making an EFTPOS payment at any Housing Choices WA office.

If you are a Centrelink customer, you can set up Centrepay Deductions, so your rent is paid directly to us each fortnight. You can also give permission for us to change your Centrepay deduction if your rent changes. We will always tell you if we have made any change to your deduction.

Centrepay deduction is a free service and you can cancel your authorisation at any time but please remember if you do so, you must make alternative arrangements to pay your rent.

Housing Choices WA’s Rent Setting Policy

Click here to view Housing Choices WA’s Rent Setting Policy.

Co-resident Carer Rent Policy Info Sheet

Click here to view our Co-resident Carer Rent Policy Info Sheet.