Rental Housing

Contents

Bond Assistance A loan for accommodation in the private rental market Maximum Level of Assistance How much assistance is your household entitled to? Information for Landlords The process for accepting tenants with Department of Housing Bond Assistance. Income Limits How much are you able to earn and still qualify for assistance?

The Department of Housing offers bond assistance and two weeks' rent in advance as an interest-free loan to help people obtain accommodation in the private rental market.

Call into any Department of Housing office (no appointment is necessary) and your application will be processed immediately. You will need to supply documents to show proof of your income and identity.

If approved for bond assistance or rent in advance, the Department of Housing will give you an in-principle approval and a form for your prospective landlord to sign and you must return this form to the Department who will then confirm this immediately with your landlord and arrange prompt payment.

Alternatively, if you have paid the bond or two weeks' rent in advance to the landlord or real estate agent, then the Department can refund this to you — but you must apply within eight weeks of payment of the bond or rent in advance and produce evidence of the payment to the landlord.

The loan is repaid in regular payments of at least $25 per fortnight. Applicants must meet Bond Assistance Loan Scheme income limits; not have assets above $2500 for singles and $5000 for couples; and should be 16 years or over.

Rent cannot be more than 60 per cent of an applicant's gross income.

Download a Bond Assistance application form in PDF format (204 kB). Print out the form and fill it in before taking it to a Department of Housing office with written proof of income and identification. Anyone who receives a Centrelink payment can complete an Income Confirmation Service Consent Form that authorises the Department to obtain your income details electronically from Centrelink. This is a free service saving you time and money by not having to phone or go to a Centrelink office for an income statement.

This loan scheme is extremely popular, with more than 10,000 loans approved each year. This scheme is means tested which means that there are income limits.

Open a copy of the brochure Bond and Private Rental Loan Scheme (PDF 140 kB). More information on PDFs.

For further information on bond assistance, please contact a Department of Housing office.

Go to http://www.rentfind.com.au/, a site which finds rental properties for prospective tenants and tenants for vacant properties.

Alternatively, you can Google a search under "rental properties Perth".

For further information on renting in the private market and other real estate matters, go to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia site.

Step 1 - The tenant applies for a bond loan at any office of the Department of Housing.

Step 2 - If eligible, the tenant will be given a letter addressed to the Landlord or Property Agent confirming the following:

• "in principle" approval of the loan
• the name of the tenant/s approved and the maximum amount of the loan
• the date the letter was issued with the name and signature of the Department of Housing officer approving the loan.

A Tenancy and Landlord Details form will also be attached to this letter.

Step 3 - The Landlord or Agent is to complete the Tenancy and Landlord Details form attached to the letter presented by the tenant. The form requires information about the tenant, the bond and rent amounts, the rental property and Landlord or Agent details. Once completed and signed, the form should be handed back to the tenant.

Step 4 - The tenant returns to the Department of Housing office and presents the completed form. The Department then gives final approval of the loan. The tenant will make their first loan repayment to the Department. The officer approving the loan will then confirm the approval by telephoning the Landlord/Agent.

Step 5 - A bond cheque made payable to the Landlord/Agent will be forwarded to the Landlord within ten working days.

Step 6 - The Landlord/Agent is required under the Residential Tenancies Act of 1987 to jointly sign with the tenant a Form 8 "Lodgement/Variation of Security Bond Money". This document is obtained through The Department of Commerce, from their website or by telephoning them on 1300 366 055. Some Newsagents and Post Offices may also stock these forms. The bond should then be deposited either with DOCEP or into an approved bank account jointly held by the Landlord/Agent and the Tenant.

Step 7 - At the conclusion of the tenancy, the Landlord/Agent is required under the Residential Tenancies Act of 1987 to jointly sign with the tenant a Form 4 "Joint Application for Disposal of Security Bond". The Form 4 is available with the Form 8 as mentioned above. Where a tenant signature cannot be obtained, then a Court Order from a Magistrate of the Local Court must be obtained approving disposal of the bond.

For further information on Bond assistance please contact any Department of Housing office.

Landlords: Advertise your rental property FREE on www. Rentfind.com.au , a site which finds rental properties for prospective tenants and tenants for vacant properties.

Other information for Landlords is available on the Landlords Advisory Service internet site.

In many cases it might be necessary to return a portion of the bond to the Department of Housing upon vacation. Landlords and Agents are encouraged to telephone the Department of Housing to obtain a discharge figure prior to making any refund to a vacating tenant.

Go to the Policies page to open a PDF or online copy of the Bond Assistance Loan Policy (107kB).

Click here for Bond Assistance Frequently Asked Questions.