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Net rent rules for Rent Assistance (RA) 108-18092653

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Staff must start at Step 1. The following steps are a step-by-step guide.

This document explains how to apply the net rent rule.

Net rent rules

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Accommodation Details (AC) screen fields

The net rent rules relate to the following fields on the Accommodation Details (AC) screen:

  • Total Household Rent and Freq
  • Net Rent and Freq

2

Customer contacts about RA rate deduction

Is the customer enquiring about a reduction to their RA as a result of a decision by the Rent Review processing team?

This team is a National Virtual Team with the region code LOC.

3

Check who resides at the address and the rent paid

Does any other person have a liability to pay rent? This does not include the customer's partner and/or dependent children?

  • Yes, go to Step 4
  • No, the net rent rules do not apply. Procedure ends here

4

Combined rent and total rent payable

If a member of the household is paying for board and lodgings, assess only the lodgings component.

If the customer cannot determine the lodging amount, the system will assess two-thirds of the total amount paid as board and lodgings.

The following information is needed to apply the net rent rules:

  • Total household rent liability:
    • This information will be on the property lease or available from the leaseholder (primary tenant)
  • Rent liability of each person who resides at the address:
    • This includes immediate family members (other than the customer's partner and/or dependent children)
    • It is up to the household members to determine how much rent or board and/or lodgings each person pays

Is the customer able to provide the information needed to apply the net rent rules?

5

Combined rent exceeds total rent payable

The total combined rent payable by each member of the household cannot exceed the total rent payable for the dwelling.

Each member of the household's rent/lodgings when added together must add up to no more than the total household rent. The household may decide to split the amount equally or they may split the rent on another percentage.

  • Clarify with the customer the rent details and advise the impact of the net rent rules. In some situations, other people may need to be contacted, for example other sharers or the landlord
  • Advise the customer:
    • The amount paid by each member of the household must be determined by the household members, not the agency
    • RA can be assessed when the total claimed does not exceed the total rent payable for the dwelling

Has the customer, other sharer and/or landlord advised of revised rent, lodgings, or board and lodgings amount for themselves and/or the sharers?

6

Correct rate of RA cannot be determined at this stage
  • Update the customer's AC screen as rent cannot be verified
  • Enter the amount the customer pays for the accommodation in both the Total Household Rent and the Net Rent fields
  • Code Rent verification field as Not Verified - NVE
  • Advise the customer that RA is not payable
  • Record details on a DOC
  • Do not issue a Rent Certificate (SU523HD) until the customer has advised of revised rent, lodgings or board and lodgings for themselves and/or sharers

Procedure ends here until the information is available.

7

Check revised rent details

Does the total combined rent payable by each member of the household still exceed the total rent payable for the dwelling?