Renting with Housing Plus
Paying Your Rent
Centrepay
Centrepay is a voluntary bill paying service which is free for Centrelink customers. You can use Centrepay to arrange regular deductions to be paid from Centrelink directly to Housing Plus to cover your rent. The quickest way to do it is through your Centrelink account online. You can also contact Centrelink via phone or attend an office. See here for more information.
Direct Debit
To set up a recurring direct debit transaction from your bank, you will need the Housing Plus BSB and account details. These are on your lease document.
- Please note, when setting up your payment and filling out the ‘Reference’ field, you will need to quote your Tenancy Reference Number, which can be found on your rent statement.
- If you don’t know your Tenancy Reference number, please contact us on 1800 603 300 and we can check for you.
- If you need help setting up a transaction, please speak to your bank or financial institution.
Commonwealth Rent Assistance
Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) is a non-taxable income supplement paid through Centrelink to individuals and families who rent in the private rental market (e.g. Social Housing). It aims to address basic living costs by reducing the proportion of household income that is spent on housing.
The subsidised rent is based on a percentage of assessable household income plus 100% of the household’s entitlement to CRA. This is subject to the qualification that the subsidised rent must not exceed market rent.
More information on CRA eligibility rules, including minimum rent amounts and maximum amounts of CRA payable for various income types, can be obtained from the Centrelink website.
For more information on CRA and how your rent is calculated, please see our Renting With Housing Plus Fact Sheet.
Rent Reviews
- When it is time to review your rent, a request for Household Information will be sent to you. Please complete and return to our office.
- It is important that you notify Housing Plus of any changes to your household to ensure that the correct rent subsidy is applied.
- You are responsible for advising Housing Plus of any change in your income and/or family complement within 21 days of the change.
- You are also asked to provide details of an emergency contact person; this person must not live with you.