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Rent payments
You and your provider decide whether you pay the rent weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Make sure this information is in the rental agreement.
You can choose a payment method without extra fees. Your provider should tell you if a specific payment method includes additional fees. You can also pay rent by Centrepay.
You can ask for a receipt when you pay rent. If you pay rent directly to your provider, they must immediately give you a receipt.
If you have an SDA residency agreement
You do not have to pay more than 30 days’ rent in advance.
If you have a residential rental agreement (short-term or long-term lease)
You do not have to pay more than 14 days' rent in advance if you pay your rent weekly.
If you pay your rent fortnightly or monthly, you do not have to pay more than one month’s rent in advance, unless the weekly rent is more than $900.
For more information, go to Rent increases.
Reasonable rent contribution (RRC)
If you are an SDA recipient under the NDIS, the NDIS rules say that providers can get a reasonable rent contribution (RRC) from you. This condition applies to the SDA residency agreement and residential rental agreements.
If you receive the disability support pension, your RRC cannot be more than:
- 25% of the basic rate of the disability support pension
- plus 25% of any pension supplement you receive
- plus 25% of any youth disability supplement you receive
- plus all Commonwealth rent assistance you receive.
If you do not receive the disability support pension, your RRC cannot be more than:
- 25% of the basic rate of the disability support pension
- plus all Commonwealth rent assistance you receive.
Rent increases
SDA residency agreement
Your SDA provider cannot increase the rent more than once every 6 months.
When your provider wants to increase your rent, they must give you and your guardian or administrator (if you have one), at least 60 days' notice in writing.
Although there is no prescribed form for issuing a proposed notice of rent increase where an SDA residency agreement is in place, your provider can download and use our Notice of rent increase for SDA residency agreements.
Your provider must explain the rent increase to you in a way you can understand. To do this they can use our Easy Read notices:
The law says for a notice of rent increase to be valid:
- you, and your guardian or administrator (if you have one), must be given at least 60 days’ notice of any rent increase, and
- the notice must include:
- the amount of the rent increase
- the method by which the rent increase was calculated
- a statement informing you of your right to ask us, if you think the rent is too high, to investigate and report on the proposed rent. You can only ask for a rent assessment within 30 days of getting the notice of rent increase, and
- SDA providers must not increase the rent more than once every 6 months.
Residential rental agreements
Your provider cannot increase the rent more than once every 12 months.
They must give you at least 60 days' notice in writing by giving you a Notice of rent increase to renters of rented premises (Word, 578KB).
Your provider can use the Easy English Notice of rent increase to help explain the notice in a way you can understand.
Download:
For more information, go to Rent increases.
What if the rent is too high?
If you've been given notice of a rent increase and believe the rent is too high, you can complete our online Request for rental assessment form to request an investigation.
We will give you a report. You can use this report to apply to VCAT for a decision. You can only ask for a rent assessment within 30 days of getting the notice of rent increase.
While VCAT decides the matter, you must pay either the:
- rent increase amount, or
- previous rent amount plus 10% whichever is less.
For more information, go to Challenging a rent increase.
Rent arrears
If you do not pay your rent on time, you are 'in arrears'. If you are more than 14 days' in arrears, your provider can give you a Notice to vacate. This means the agreement ends and you must move out.
If you have an SDA residency agreement, find Notice to vacate on Notices to end an SDA residency.
If you signed a Residential rental agreement, find out about late or unpaid rent.