Processing proof of rent for the Verification field on the Accommodation Details (AC) screen 108-18092631

Customer has provided a verification document as per Rent Assistance (RA) verification.

Does the customer or partner have an RA profile review, review of decision about RA or outstanding Complex Assessment Officer (CAO) assessment that will affect RA on file?

• Yes, refer the work item to the correct team for processing. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

Does the customer or partner have an RA profile review, review of decision about RA or outstanding Complex Assessment Officer (CAO) assessment that will affect RA on file?

• Yes:
  • Scan the document and record a closed DOC with the reason for scanning
  • Refer the work item to the correct team for processing. Procedure ends here
• No:
  • Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Rent Assistance > Rent Assistance Verification to record details if document will not be scanned onto the record
  • Go to Step 2

A person who runs a business from their home may claim a portion of the rent paid on their home as a business expense for taxation purposes. Any rent amounts claimed by a customer as a tax deduction do not attract Rent Assistance (RA). The portion of the rent attributed to private and domestic purposes only attracts RA.

A check of the following screens can help determine if the customer is operating a business:

• Real Estate/Business Summary (REBS) screen
• Employment income summary (EANS) screen

Does the customer operate a business from home?

• Yes, and the formal rental agreement is in the:
  • customer's (and/or their current partner's) name, go to Step 3
  • business name, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 6

Verification must include business financials. This can be a copy of the:

• business tax return, or
• profit and loss statement

To calculate the amount that can be used to assess RA:

• Identify the total rent paid for the premises
• Subtract the amount the business has claimed as a tax deduction
• The balance is the amount to be entered on the AC screen to assess RA

Is at least one of the above documents available?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No:
  • Request business financials
  • Verification cannot be finalised
  • To check for any other action needed, go to Step 6

Verification must include a copy of the following:

• The business formal rental agreement, and
• Business financials, which can be a:
  • business tax return, or
  • profit and loss statement

To calculate the amount that can be used to assess RA:

• Identify the amount paid by the customer to the business as rent
• It will generally be listed as business income
• This is the amount to be entered on the AC screen to assess RA

Are all the above documents available?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No:
  • Request required documents
  • Verification cannot be finalised
  • Go to Step 5

There are specific verification requirements when:

• a customer operates a business, and
• the formal rental agreement for the principal place of residence is in the business name

When the customer and/or partner are the only individual(s) involved in the business, a SU523HD cannot be used as rent verification. In this case, a SU336M must be provided.

If there is another person involved in the business (that is, a business partner who is not the customer or partner), a SU523HD can be provided. It would still need to be signed by the customer in their section and the business partner in the landlord section.

Has the correct verification form been provided?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, update any new information as needed- issue the correct verification form:
  • SU523HD. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Rent Assistance > Rent Certificate Re-Issued. Explain why the SU523HD has been re-issued. There is no requirement to contact the customer verbally, or
  • SU336M and create a closed DOC explaining why the form has been issued
  • Procedure ends here

Has a formal rental agreement been provided as verification?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, and:
  • a Rent Certificate (SU523HD) has been supplied, go to Step 8
  • a Rent Declaration (SU336M), has been supplied, go to Step 9
  • a COVID-19 rent verification waiver applies, go to Step 12
  • an obsolete Rent Certificate (SU523 or SU523HPA), and/or other documents deemed unacceptable to verify rent details, go to Step 14

Some formal rental agreements do not have a fixed time period.

All formal rental agreements must contain the:

• name of tenant(s) - including the customer (and/or partner) claiming RA
• premises the agreement relates to (that is, the rental address)
• name and contact details of the landlord/managing agent (either an email address, mailing address, or contact number), and
• amount of the rent liability

Note: the amount on the lease may be different if the customer is on a continuing or month to month agreement. If the increase is reasonable, it is acceptable.

Signatures are not needed on formal rental agreements.

The formal rental agreement must support the change in rent details notified by the customer.

The date of the agreement may be different to the date of event (DOV) for the AC screen. To determine the DOV on the AC screen, see date of event.

Is the formal rental agreement acceptable?

• Yes, and:
  • there is also a Rent Certificate (SU523HD), go to Step 8
  • there is no accompanying Rent Certificate (SU523HD), go to Step 11
  • the Rent Certificate is obsolete, for example SU523 or SU523HPA, go to Step 14
• No, and:
  • the customer updated their details online and no Rent Certificate was issued, go to Step 18
  • there is also a Rent Certificate (SU523HD), go to Step 8
  • there is no Rent Certificate (SU523HD), or the Rent Certificate is obsolete, for example SU523 or SU523HPA, go to Step 14

The declaration on the SU523HD must be signed by relevant persons. This is the minimum acceptable level of completion for the form.

Accept the SU523HD when:

• the version number is before 2010 and the customer provides both pages 1 and 2 of the form, or
• the version number is 2010 and the customer provides page 2 of the form, and
• the declaration is signed by the customer, their correspondence nominee or Power of Attorney (POA) if applicable, and
• it has one of the following:
  • an acceptable formal rental agreement, or
  • the landlord or authorised representative declaration is signed as the minimum. The Background page has more details on who can sign the landlord or representative declaration

Is the SU523HD acceptable?

• Yes:
  • When an acceptable formal rental agreement is provided, the information on it is taken to be correct. This is because the agreement is a legal document. Note: the date of the agreement may be different to the SU523HD, see date of event
  • Go to Step 12
• No, go to Step 14

Accept the SU336M when:

• the customer is:
  • unable to have the SU523HD signed
  • not able to approach the landlord/agent, or
  • travelling for an extended period and they are frequently moving (for example, between caravan parks)
• all required questions are fully completed and can be clearly read
• the form is signed by the customer, their correspondence nominee or Power of Attorney (POA) if applicable
• it includes evidence of rent paid

The SU336M may be accepted without any supporting evidence of rent. In these situations, the DOC must include the reasons the SU336M was accepted without evidence. This can include, but is not limited to, situations when the:

• customer is frequently travelling and has misplaced the receipts from the previous accommodation
• landlord is currently unavailable (away or overseas) and is unable to provide receipts until they return

Examples of evidence:

• Longer term accommodation:
  • 3 or more rent receipts in the customer's name (less than 6 weeks old)
  • A consecutive sequence of 3 or more bank deposit slips
  • Bank statements in the customer's name showing rent deductions made to the landlord (over the most recent month)
  • A Centrepay deduction record - check the deduction amount does not include any other liabilities (for example, payments for rent arrears)
• Short term accommodation:
  • A receipt(s) for the period of the RA claim
  • A bank statement(s) for the period of the RA claim

Is the SU336M acceptable?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No, go to Step 10

If the SU336M is deemed unacceptable because there is no evidence included, make genuine attempts to contact the customer to clarify the situation and request evidence of rent paid (if relevant).

Was the contact successful and the SU336M can now be accepted?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No:
  • Send another SU336M to the customer if required. The form can be issued using the Mail Forms guided procedure (search for SU336), or printed via the Resources link
  • DOC the reason verification is not acceptable
  • Complete the scanned image
  • Procedure ends here

Service Officers can accept a formal rental agreement for rent verification in the following circumstances:

New claims

• The customer provides the formal rental agreement to support a new claim for a payment that includes required accommodation questions, and
• The claim/supporting documents contain enough information to assess and apply the sharer and net rent rules

Online accommodation updates

• The customer updated their details online and the following apply:
  • they were required to provide rent verification
  • they advised they have a formal rental agreement with their or their partners name on it, and
  • the rent verification code applied as part of the online update was:
    - UPL - RA Paying - Rent Verification to be uploaded, or
    - RVL - Upload Rent Verification Required

Other accommodation updates

• The customer provides the formal rental agreement to support and/or advise of an accommodation update, and
• They are able to provide enough information to assess and apply the sharer and net rent rules

When an acceptable agreement is provided, the information on it is taken to be correct. This is because the agreement is a legal document. The date of the agreement may be different to the date of event (DOV) for the AC screen. Refer to the AC screen date of event information for more details.

Can rent be verified using only a formal rental agreement?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No:
  • Make genuine attempts to contact the customer to advise a SU523HD is needed
  • Update the AC screen with any new information provided then return here to continue this process
  • Issue an SU523HD
  • Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Rent Assistance > Rent Certificate Re-Issued. Explain why rent could not be verified. Record attempts to contact the customer and if those attempts were successful
  • Complete any scanned images
  • Procedure ends here

Service Officers need to review the acceptable verification documents ensuring it supports the update and detect any potential fraud.

Examples of fraudulent activity may include the following (this list is not exhaustive):

• concerns about handwriting or signatures
• customer advises not a sharer however lease has multiple tenants

For more details on living arrangements, see The Living Arrangements question set.

Manual changes on a Rent Certificate may not be a reason to suspect fraud when there are no other concerns.

Note: the date of the agreement may be different to the date of event (DOV) for the AC screen. To determine the DOV on the AC screen, see date of event

Is there reason to suspect the information provided is fraudulent?

• Yes, go to Step 13
• No, and:
  • an acceptable formal rental agreement has been supplied, go to Step 19
  • an acceptable SU523HD has been supplied, go to Step 15
  • an acceptable SU336M has been supplied, go to Step 19
  • COVID-19 rent verification waiver applies, go to Step 19

When the Service Officer suspects the information provided is fraudulent, RA must not be paid until acceptable verification is received.

Go to the AC screen and if:

• RA is still being paid, update the Event Date field to the date the activity is being completed (that is, date of processing)
• RA was paying but has stopped NVE - Not Verified. Select the NVE line, which stopped RA. Do not change the Event Date

Continue the AC screen update:

• Update any new information provided if needed
• The correct verification option is RVR - Rent Verification Required, RA will not pay or will stop, and an SU523HD will be automatically created and issued
• The decision to use RVR must be recorded on a DOC

Complete the activity, see Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen and assessing Rent Assistance (RA).

Note: if this procedure was accessed from that page, it will have opened in a new window. Close this procedure and return there.

When a customer's verification document is deemed unacceptable or unable to be used as verification, make genuine attempts to contact the customer.

Update the record with any new details provided and discuss with the customer:

• the reason why we cannot verify their accommodation circumstances, and
• whether the customer needs to upload an acceptable:
  • formal rental agreement, or
  • SU523HD
• any potential manual changes

Consider providing the customer with a SU336M if they are having difficulty contacting their landlord, refused to sign a SU523HD or are travelling and move regularly.

Was the phone contact successful?

• Yes, the customer:
  • has provided required information verbally, and/or the customer can immediately upload an SU523HD and/or formal rental agreement to meet the acceptable verification standard, go to Step 15
  • cannot immediately upload an acceptable SU523HD and/or formal rental agreement. Place the work item on hold for one day, record a closed DOC of the discussion and outstanding documents. Complete the scanned image. Procedure ends here
  • cannot upload an acceptable SU523HD and/or formal rental agreement if required, go to Step 16
• No, go to Step 16

Are there manual changes to the SU523HD?

• Yes, see Table 2 > Step 1
• No, and RA is:
  • still being paid, see Table 3 > Step 1
  • not being paid, see Table 4 > Step 1

Has a SU523HD been re-issued previously for this accommodation update?

• Yes, go to Step 17
• No:
  • Update the AC screen with any new information provided
  • Re-issue the SU523HD if not automatically issued from the AC screen
  • Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Rent Assistance > Rent Certificate Re-Issued. Explain why rent could not be verified, that the SU523HD has been re-issued and record customer contact attempts
  • Complete the scanned image
  • Procedure ends here

• Issue a Q164 letter
• Do not re-issue the SU523HD. One may be reissued when customer responds to the Q164
• Create a Fast Note detailing what information the customer needs to provide in order to meet their rent verification obligations. Record unsuccessful contact attempt
• Check the verification code:
  • If the code is NVE - Not Verified or RVR - Rent Verification Required, RA is not being paid. Do not change the code
  • If RA is being paid it will continue for 28 days from the date the following code was applied:
    - COA - Chg Address/Accom Circs - 14 days to verify
    - NCL - New Claim - 14 days to verify
    - HAR - Hardship - 28 days to verify, or
    - RVE - Reverify Rent - 14 days to verify
• Complete the scanned image

Procedure ends here.

When a customer's formal rental agreement is unacceptable for rent verification, make genuine attempts to contact the customer to explain:

• why the formal rental agreement is unacceptable
• what steps are needed to verify their accommodation

The formal rental agreement can be uploaded again to fix issues of poor image quality, incorrect document upload, or insufficient pages provided.

Is the customer contact successful?

• Yes, and the customer:
  • has provided required information verbally, and/or the customer can immediately upload an acceptable formal rental agreement to meet verification standards, go to Step 19
  • cannot immediately upload an acceptable formal rental agreement to meet verification standards, go to Step 20
  • cannot upload an acceptable formal rental agreement and will require a SU523HD, go to Step 21
• No, go to Step 22

Has a formal rental agreement been provided?

• Yes, to support
  • an online accommodation update, see Table 5 > Step 1
  • a new claim, and RA is still being paid, see Table 3 > Step 1
  • a new claim and RA not being paid, see Table 4 > Step 1
  • and/or advise a new change in accommodation circumstances, Table 4 > Step 2
• No, COVID-19 rent verification waiver applies or a SU336M has been supplied and RA is:
  • still being paid, see Table 3 > Step 1
  • not being paid, see Table 4 > Step 1

Check the Accommodation History (ACS) screen. If RA is:

• still paying and the code is UPL - RA Paying - Rent Verification to be uploaded:
  • no update to AC screen is required
  • RA will automatically stop NVE - Not Verified at day 29 if no ACS update has been coded in the original review time frame
• not paying and the code has automatically changed from UPL to NVE:
  • if customer advises they are in hardship, determine if hardship coding is applicable from date RA stopped
  • if hardship is applicable, update rent verification on AC screen to HAR - Hardship - 28 days to verify from NVE date of event (DOV)
  • if hardship not applicable then no AC screen change is needed
• not paying and the code is RVL - Upload Rent Verification Required, no update to AC screen is needed

Complete the scanned image.

Procedure ends here.

Check the Accommodation History (ACS) screen. If RA is:

• still paying, tell the customer that an SU523HD is needed to verify rental details:
  • update the AC screen Event Date field as date of contact and Rent Verification field to RVR - Rent Verification Required, or
  • if customer qualifies for hardship provisions, update rent verification on AC screen to HAR - Hardship - 28 days to verify and date of event (DOV) to date of contact
• not paying, tell the customer that an SU523HD is needed to verify rental details. If the coding on AC screen:
  • is RVL - Upload Rent Verification Required, update AC screen to RVR - Rent Verification Required from RVL DOV
  • was UPL - RA Paying - Rent Verification to be uploaded and is now NVE - Not Verified, update AC screen to RVR - Rent Verification Required from NVE DOV, or
  • if customer qualifies for hardship provisions update rent verification on AC screen to HAR - Hardship - 28 days to verify from NVE DOV

Complete the scanned image.

Procedure ends here.

If genuine attempts to contact the customer are unsuccessful, and RA is:

• still paying, update the AC screen Event Date field to date of processing and Rent Verification field to RVR
• not paying and coding on AC screen:
  • is RVL - Upload Rent Verification Required, update AC screen to RVR - Rent Verification Required from the RVL date of event (DOV)
  • was UPL - RA Paying - Rent Verification to be uploaded and is now NVE - Not Verified, update AC screen to RVR - Rent Verification Required from NVE DOV

A Rent Certificate (SU523HD) will automatically issue with RVR coding.

Complete the scanned image.

Record details of the unsuccessful contact on a DOC. Include why formal rental agreement was not acceptable and SU523HD is needed.

Procedure ends here.