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Rent Assistance

You can get this payment if you pay rent and get certain payments from Services Australia.

Who can get it

Services Australia will automatically assess you for Rent Assistance if you pay rent and you're getting certain payments.

Services Australia will assess your eligibility when you pay rent and you:

  • start a claim for certain payments
  • tell them that you’ve moved address
  • tell them that the rent you pay has changed.

Find out about the certain payments, who can get it and how much you can get on the Services Australia website.

If you currently get Rent Assistance

If you already get Rent Assistance and move to a new address, Services Australia will check if you’re still eligible for it.

How to get it

If you claim a payment

Services Australia will assess if you’ll get Rent Assistance when you claim a payment. If you move or start paying rent later, tell Services Australia and they’ll assess you for Rent Assistance again.

If you get a payment

Services Australia will assess if you’ll get Rent Assistance when you:

  • update your address
  • update your rent details.

You may need to give Services Australia proof of your rent arrangements to get this payment. They may ask you to complete a Rent Certificate or provide your formal tenancy agreement.

Find out the steps to get Rent Assistance on the Services Australia website.

Change of circumstance

You’ll need to update your address and rent details when they change. This will make sure Services Australia is paying you the right amount and you won’t get a debt. Find out about change of circumstance and how to report changes on the Services Australia website.

Update your address or rent details online
Sign in to myGov and update your details

You can update your address and rent details in your Centrelink online account through myGov. You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. Find out more about the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app on the Services Australia website.

Services Australia will assess your eligibility when you update either:

  • your address
  • the amount of rent you pay.

Set up your online account

If you don’t have a myGov account, you can create one on myGov.

You can link to Centrelink when you finish creating your account. Find out more about how to link Centrelink to myGov.

If you can’t update your address details online

Call your regular payment line on the Services Australia website.

Help in your language

Call the Centrelink multilingual phone service on 131 202 to speak with someone in your language.

Centrelink will be closed on:

  • Wednesday 25 December 2024
  • Thursday 26 December 2024
  • Friday 27 December 2024
  • Wednesday 1 January 2025.

Find information in more languages about Centrelink on the Services Australia website.
Page last updated: 2 December 2024