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Eligibility
If you are looking for a place to rent and you can't afford the bond,
the Office of Housing may be able to help. Single applicants can get a
loan of up to $400, and families or group households can get a loan of
up to $600.
You may be eligible for a bond loan if
you are applying to rent a house, flat, unit or caravan,
and
your share of the rent will be 55% or less of your gross weekly income,
and
you are a permanent resident of Australia, and
your gross weekly income is below
$286 single person
$476 couple with no children
$510 family (one or two parents with one dependant child)
$34 for each additional child
You will not be eligible for a bond loan if
you have already paid the bond (the Office of Housing will not reimburse
you)
you have received a bond loan before and it has not been repaid
you have been a tenant of the Office of Housing (a public tenant)
before and you still owe rent or maintenance charges
your assets exceed
$1300 for a single person, family with one child, or group household
of two people
$2100 for a family with more than one child, or a group household of
three or more people
the rent will be 55% or more of your gross weekly income
you own land or property
There are some exceptions to these rules in special
circumstances and only some assets are counted. Contact your local Office
of Housing for more information.
How to apply
First you have to find a property and be accepted as the tenant. You should
then go into your local Office of Housing and ask for the bond loan application
form. Return the completed form to the Office of Housing together with
the documents listed below.
Proof of assets and income
You must provide one or more of the following
a Statement of Income from Centrelink showing your income and what
type of pension or benefit you receive
a letter from your employer on business letterhead stating your
gross weekly earnings
proof of your bank balance (eg a recent statement or ATM printout)
proof of the value of any asset you own which is counted towards the
asset limit
Proof of tenancy
You must provide a copy of the signed lease or (if there is no written
agreement) ac
letter from the landlord or real estate agent that contains the following
information
the name, address and phone number of the owner or agent
the names of everyone who will be tenants at the property
the address of the property
the amount of rent and bond
the starting date of the tenancy
Proof of identity
You must provide a form of identification that has your photograph and
your signature (eg your driver's licence), or two forms of identification
that between them have your signature and your photograph.
Group households
If you are going to be living in a group household, and all the group
are eligible for a bond loan, you should apply together. If some people
are not eligible, you will need to take statutory declarations from those
people, stating that they are not eligible and how much rent they will
be paying.
Approval of the loan
If the Office of Housing approves your loan, you will be asked to come
in to sign an agreement and to pick up a cheque. If your loan is refused,
the Office of Housing should tell you why, and if you disagree with their
decision, you can appeal. Appeal forms are available from the Office of
Housing.
Paying back the loan
You should make sure the bond is returned to the Office of Housing at
the end of your tenancy. If there is no claim against the bond by the
landlord, you and the landlord must complete a Bond Claim Form and return
it to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority. The Authority will then
pay the money directly to the Office of Housing. If there is a claim by
the landlord, they must apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative
Tribunal. The Office of Housing will be named as a party.
If the landlord does not apply to the Tribunal within 14 days, and has
not signed a Bond Claim Form from the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority,
you should make an application to the Tribunal for an order that the bond
be repaid to the Office of Housing. See the Bonds leaflet for more information.
For more information, contact the Tenants Union on % (03) 9416 2577.
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