Rent Assistance (RA) verification 108-18092609

Customers (unless exempt) must verify their accommodation details and amount of rent paid.

Customers can provide a current lease or tenancy agreement:

• with a new claim
• with an accommodation update (for example, change of address reported in person)
• when they indicate they or their partner are named on the lease or tenancy agreement
• when submitting a Rent Certificate (SU523HD) (no other Rent Certificates are acceptable) signed by the customer and the landlord or with a current lease or tenancy agreement attached
• when submitting a Rent Declaration (SU336M) in limited circumstances

See Processing proof of rent for the Verification field on the Accommodation Details (AC) screen for processing obsolete Rent Certificates (SU523 or SU523HPA).

To verify a formal renting arrangement, the customer can provide a current written lease or tenancy agreement.

A lease agreement can be provided as a stand-alone document for rent verification under the following circumstances:

• New claims:
• The customer provides the agreement to support a new claim for payment that includes required accommodation questions, and
• The claim/supporting documents contain enough information to assess rent assistance
• Online Accommodation updates when all of the following are met:
• the customer updates their details using the online Address, Accommodation and Contact service
• they must provide rent verification
• they have a lease agreement, and
• have their or their partner's name on the lease agreement
• Accommodation updates when:
• the customer provides the formal rental agreement to support and/or advise of an accommodation update, and
• they can provide enough information to assess and apply the sharer and net rent rules

The agreement must be in accordance with state or territory requirements. No Rent Certificate (SU523HD) is needed.

The customer may have an informal renting arrangement when:

• there is no formal written lease/tenancy agreement, or
• the customer (and/or their partner) claiming RA is not named as a leaseholder or tenant on the formal written lease/tenancy agreement

Customers can lodge an SU523HD (no other Rent Certificates are acceptable) to verify the amount of rent paid whilst receiving a Centrelink payment.

Rent certificates may be issued when a customer:

• lodges a new claim and a formal renting arrangement is not provided and/or the accommodation questions were not asked or completed, or
• advises of a change to their accommodation, for example:
• the amount of rent paid, or
• change of address

If the SU523HD is needed for rent verification, it must be signed (electronic/digital signatures are acceptable) by:

• the customer, and
• the landlord or the person who receives rent payments unless a current lease or tenancy agreement is attached

The SU336M may be used when a customer cannot get confirmation of the rental details from their landlord, or is travelling and moves regularly. It allows staff to verify the amount of rent paid by the customer.

Customers are expected to first approach their landlord or agent, to sign a Rent Certificate (SU523HD). A Service Officer may decide it is unreasonable for the customer to approach their landlord. If the customer is unable to provide a signed SU523HD, an SU336M may be lodged instead. SU336M form can be issued:

• using the Mail Forms guided procedure and search for SU336, or
• by printing the form and sending to the customer

Customers travelling must notify Services Australia each time they change address.

Electronic/digital signatures are accepted.

To help in the identification and assessment of RA, customers who are using the Rent Deductions Scheme (RDS) for the deduction type of Other Housing Organisation (OHO), will be issued a Rent Certificate (SU523HD) when:

• an RDS/OHO transaction is sent to Services Australia, and
• the amount of the deduction is greater than the RA threshold

The Accommodation Details (AC) screen will be automatically updated with the amount of the deduction, and the verification code Chg Address/Accom Circs-14 days to verify - COA to make sure an SU523HD is generated.

Payment of RA will also start based on the details coded on the AC screen, and a review will be created for the return of the form 28 days from the date the activity is finalised.

Customers are also able to include the advice of rent paid form as an alternate means of having the landlord honesty declaration of the SU523HD completed by the State Housing Authorities (SHA).

If the SU523HD is not returned by the due date, the review will mature and RA will stop.

Acceptable verification documents are the same for RA assessed under Social Security Law, Family Assistance Law or ABSTUDY Policy.

Verification documents can be supplied using Upload documents online, faxed, presented in person or mailed to the agency.

Customers selected for an RA Profile review must provide verification regardless of their circumstances.

Customers not undergoing a review will be exempt from verifying their rent details when:

• living in exempt accommodation for the purposes of Rent Assistance. For more details, see References page. Exempt accommodation is:
• boarding style accommodation
• living in refuge type accommodation; that is, a refuge, crisis or emergency accommodation of generally not more than 3 months (short term)
• living full time in a non-Commonwealth funded bed in residential care (including nursing homes and hostels)
• living in a retirement village and qualified for RA as they are regarded as a non-homeowner due to the amount of the entry contribution
• reduced verification for rent assistance can be applied
• claiming an income support payment/ABSTUDY or transferring from another income support payment/ABSTUDY, and:
• the rent has previously been verified, and
• the details have not changed
• they pay rent to a community housing organisation and they have provided verification using the Electronic Verification of Rent (EVoR) service

For more information, see Determining proof of rent for the Verification field on the Accommodation Details (AC) screen.