How to Update Your Rent Details for the Correct Centrelink Rent Assistance

Why do you need to update your rent details?

Centrelink Rent Assistance is not a separate benefit that existing customers need to claim each time their housing changes. Services Australia checks whether you qualify when you claim an eligible payment and when you tell Centrelink that your address, accommodation or rent details have changed.

The amount of Rent Assistance can change when your rent increases or decreases, you move house, your income or Centrelink payments change, or your family circumstances change. Services Australia also adjusts Rent Assistance when indexed payment rates change.

For each $1 of eligible rent above the applicable minimum threshold, Rent Assistance is calculated at 75 cents until the relevant maximum rate is reached. The thresholds and maximum amounts depend on circumstances such as whether you are single or partnered, share accommodation or have dependent children.

How long do you have to report a change?

If you get Rent Assistance, you need to tell Services Australia about relevant changes within 14 days. This includes moving house and a change in the amount of rent you pay.

If you cannot report the change online, Services Australia says you can report it within the same 14-day period by calling your regular payment line or visiting a service centre.

It is still important to report a change after the deadline. Services Australia states that it is never too late to report a change. If you do not keep your circumstances current, however, you may be paid too much and have to repay the overpayment.

How do you update your rent details online?

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in to myGov and open Centrelink. From the Centrelink homepage select MENU, then My details, Personal and contact details and Update accommodation details.

If you have moved, update the home address as well. Centrelink asks for the address and the date you started living there. Depending on your answers, it may also ask whether your partner moved with you and about other people living at the address.

During the accommodation update, select the description that matches your home ownership and living arrangements and your accommodation type. Centrelink then asks about your accommodation payments.

If you and your partner pay rent or a similar fee, enter how much you pay and how often you pay it. If other people besides your partner and children live at the address, Centrelink may also ask how much is paid for the accommodation in total.

When you have completed the sections, select Review and submit updates, check the information and submit the declaration. Centrelink gives you a receipt with a Receipt ID and information about any next steps.

If you moved house, should you update Centrelink online?

Yes, if you can use the online service. Services Australia specifically advises renters receiving a Centrelink payment to update their details online through their Centrelink account linked to myGov. This allows Centrelink to automatically assess you for Rent Assistance.

Services Australia notes that if you update your moving details another way, it cannot automatically assess you for Rent Assistance through that online process. If you cannot report online, however, the Rent Assistance change-of-circumstances service also allows you to report changes through your regular payment line or a service centre.

If you are moving between addresses, keep your mailing address secure and current as well. Centrelink can record a future home address, but it will only send mail there from the date you have said you will be living there.

Do you need a tenancy agreement or Rent Certificate?

Not automatically. Services Australia says you should provide proof of your rent or accommodation arrangements if it asks you to do so.

If proof is required, you can provide a copy of either:

• a formal tenancy agreement; or
• a Rent Certificate.

You can submit the requested proof online, by post or at a service centre.

After an address and accommodation update, your Centrelink receipt tells you whether you need to complete another task. If Centrelink requests documents, you can upload them through your Centrelink online account in myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

How do you get a Rent Certificate?

When Centrelink requires a Rent Certificate after your details are updated, you can access it through the Request a document service in your Centrelink online account. Services Australia's Rent Assistance evidence guidance says it is available the next working day after the details are updated; its online-account update guide advises allowing up to 48 hours after the update is applied to your record.

If you have no formal tenancy agreement, your landlord or real estate agent can sign the Rent Certificate to verify your rental arrangements.

Who can get Rent Assistance?

To receive Rent Assistance, you need to get an eligible payment, live in an eligible accommodation type and pay more than the applicable minimum amount of eligible rent or accommodation costs.

Eligible payments include Age Pension, Austudy, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, eligible Family Tax Benefit Part A, Farm Household Allowance, JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, Special Benefit, Youth Allowance and eligible ABSTUDY Living Allowance. Some younger recipients have additional eligibility rules.

Eligible accommodation costs can include private rent, certain retirement or over-55s village fees, lodging, board and lodging, and eligible site or mooring fees. Your exact living arrangement matters when Centrelink assesses eligibility.

If your main payment is Disability Support Pension, see the separate guide to claiming Disability Support Pension. Students and Australian Apprentices may also need the separate Youth Allowance claim process.

What if you share your accommodation?

Tell Centrelink accurately who lives with you and how the accommodation costs are shared. Living with another person can affect the Rent Assistance amount depending on your circumstances.

A specific single sharer rate can apply to an eligible single customer with no dependent children who lives in shared private accommodation and receives one of the payments covered by the sharer rules.

If you are single and share accommodation with someone who is not a family member and is aged 16 or older, Centrelink may also require information about that living arrangement.

What happens after you submit the update?

Centrelink provides a receipt after you submit the change. The receipt includes your Receipt ID and any next steps or evidence tasks relevant to your circumstances.

Your updated information may not appear in your online account immediately. Services Australia says you only need to make the update once while it processes the change.

If more evidence is needed, Centrelink will tell you what to provide and how long you have to complete the task. Follow the specific due date shown in your account or correspondence rather than assuming a general evidence deadline.

After assessing the new information, Services Australia will notify you if your Rent Assistance changes. If you are eligible, Rent Assistance continues to be paid automatically with your regular eligible payment.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not make a separate Rent Assistance claim. Existing eligible customers should update their address, accommodation and rent information instead.
• Do not update only your postal address after moving and leave your home and accommodation details unchanged.
• Enter both the correct rent amount and the correct payment frequency.
• Answer accurately about a partner and other people living at the property because living arrangements can affect the assessment.
• Do not upload a tenancy agreement or Rent Certificate unnecessarily; provide proof when Centrelink asks for it.
• Do not ignore an outstanding evidence task or the due date shown by Centrelink.
• If your rent changes again, report the new amount rather than assuming Centrelink receives the information from your landlord or real estate agent.

If your housing change also changes your relationship circumstances, update Centrelink carefully because relationship status can affect your payments. For families receiving Parenting Payment, the separate guide explains the Parenting Payment process.