Rent and water

Paying your rent in full and on time is the most important thing you must do.

If you are having trouble paying your rent, you should contact us as soon as possible.

We will work with you as much as possible to help you manage your arrears and maintain your tenancy.

If you fall into arrears, we will:

• Contact you via phone and SMS in the first instance, to advise you that your rent is late.
• If your rent is up to 7 days in arrears, a reminder letter will be sent to you.
• If your rent is between 7 and 14 days late, we will send you a letter. We might also visit you at your home to check on your wellbeing.
• If your rent become more than 14 days behind, we can lodge an application to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for a Specific Payment Order or termination of your lease.

If you decide not to talk to us, and we have tried all available options to help you to pay your weekly rent and arrears, we will make an application to the NSW Civil and Administrative (NCAT) to end your tenancy.

A rent subsidy is provided to eligible social housing customers to make your rent more affordable. The subsidy is the different between the market rate rent and the rent you pay Hume.

In most case you will pay rent based on 25% of your household’s gross assessable income, plus 100% of your household’s entitlement to Commonwealth Rent Assistance. The assessment rates for each type of income are set by the NSW Government and vary for different household members.

The table below shows you the types of income that can be assessed and current rates applicable:

Market rent refers to the amount a property would typically rent for in the private rental market. It is determined based on factors like location, property size, and local rental trends.  Market rent is determined by using data from the Rent and Sales Report published quarterly by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. This ensures that the rent for our properties aligns with comparable properties in the private rental market.

Your rent is reviewed every 6 months in accordance with Community Housing guidelines. This regular review ensures that tenants receiving a rent subsidy remain eligible and are charged the correct amount. You will be notified in writing in advance of each review.
If your income had changed since the last review your rent can either increase or decrease.

To complete your rent subsidy review, you must declare all assessable income for each household member over 18 years of age and provide proof of the income amount.

Please ensure that income documentation is original and dated within the last month when you submit it.

The following items are approved examples of household income:

Benefits and allowances paid by Centrelink 
An income statement from Centrelink
as provided through the Centrelink Income Confirmation scheme (ICS).

Benefits and allowances paid by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA)  
A General Statement of Pension and a Statement of Income and Assets from DVA.

Child Support or Maintenance 
Documents from Centrelink or Child Support agency about the amount and frequenct of paymens made or received as provided through the Centrelink ICS.

Income from bank accounts and investments, trust accounts, and other financial assets 
A letter from your bank or investment organisation about investment or savings providing details of the amounts
As provided through the Centrelink ICS.

Overseas Pension 
A letter or statement from an overseas government detailing the amount and frequency received. The document must be translated into English As provided through the Centrelink ICS.

Self-Employed 
A profit and loss statement completed by an accountant within the last six months, or
An income taxation return for the most recent financial year.
Note: a tax assessment Notice is not acceptable.

Superannuation 
A letter or statement from the superannuation fund including the payment amount, type, and the payment period start and end dates.

Wages/Salary 
Payslips or a letter or statement from the employer detailing gross wage, applicable tax, deductions, pay period, and payee details for salary or wages for previous 12 weeks.

WorkCover 
A letter or statement from WorkCover or insurance provider detailing the amount and frequency received.

If you do not submit your income details by the due date, you will no longer be eligible for a rent subsidy and will be required to pay the maximum rent.

If you receive a social housing rent subsidy and there is a change in your household income or if someone joins or leaves your household, you must inform us within 21 days by completing a new Rent Subsidy Application form.

Please note that if you receive a Centrelink income, Centrelink will not notify Hume of any changes to your income, even if you participate in the Income Confirmation scheme.

If you do not notify us of an increase in your income, your rent subsidy may be cancelled, and charges could be backdated.

Hume assess Affordable Housing rent in line with the NSW Affordable Housing Ministerial Guidelines. NSW Affordable Housing Ministerial Guidelines 2023-24 | Family & Community Services 

Affordable Housing rents are determined in two ways:
1. iscount to Market Rent – rent is set at 20 percent below the Market Rent or;
2. Income Based – rent is set at 30 to 40 percent of household gross income

If the applicant or another member of the household receives Commonwealth Rent Assistance, then this amount will also be included in the rent, to a maximum of 74.9% of market rent.

These methods ensure that rent remains affordable based on either market conditions or household income.

Each year, Hume Housing reviews your eligibility for Affordable Housing based on the Affordable Housing Eligibility Income Band to ensure you still qualify.

It is important that your rent is not in arrears and that you are not in breach of your tenancy when your rent is reassessed. If you are eligible, you will be offered a further 12-month fixed-term lease.

If you disagree with the rent calculation, you can contact us to discuss your concerns. We will review the details and work with you to resolve any discrepancies. If necessary, we can provide you with a formal review process. Your feedback is important, and we aim to ensure the rent calculation is accurate and fair.

Your water payment depends on whether your home has a separate water meter measuring your individual usage or shares a water meter with other properties.

If your property has a separate water meter, you will be charged based on your actual water usage. The water authority in your area reads your meter and issues a bill to Hume.

Hume will then charge you for the water you’ve used, typically on a quarterly basis. Hume reserves the right to change these charges as required by law or circumstance

If your property has a shared water meter, you will be charged a weekly water charge based on the number of people living in your household.

The weekly charges from 1 July 2024 are: 

You will receive a water bill detailing your new charges based on the local water authority’s bill, along with the total amount due.
Please ensure your water bill is paid within 28 days of the issue date.