Rent Choice Start Safely

What Rent Choice Start Safely offers

Rent Choice Start Safely supports you if you’ve left, need to leave, or are at risk of returning to an unsafe relationship. It does this by:

helping you find a safe and affordable place to rent in the private rental market
paying part of your rent for up to 36 months
connecting you with services for education and employment support to help you become financially independent.

Rent Choice Start Safely eligibility

You may be eligible for Rent Choice Start Safely if you:

are escaping or at risk of domestic or family violence*
are homeless or at risk of being homeless
are eligible for social housing
able to show that you will be able to afford the private market rent after the subsidy ends
are willing to engage with support services, if needed.

*This includes people leaving custody or rehabilitation who are still at risk of domestic or family violence.

Applying for Rent Choice Start Safely

To apply for Rent Choice Start Safely, complete the following steps:

Fill out the Rent Choice Start Safely application form
Send the completed form to your local Homes NSW office.

Income requirements

To receive Rent Choice Start Safely, you must be within the moderate income limits.

To receive Rent Choice Start Safely, you must be eligible for social housing.

For more information visit Rent Choice Policy.

We will use your income including any Commonwealth Rent Assistance to calculate the amount of your subsidy.

Changes in your circumstances

You must let us know within 28 days if there are any changes to your circumstances. This includes changes in household members, household income, market rent, your address, or your landlord or real estate agent.

Asset test

You can still receive the subsidy if you own assets but can’t access them due to legal or other restrictions (e.g., a Family Court ruling on the family home).

How the subsidy works

For the first 12 months, you’ll pay:

25% of your weekly household income, plus
100% of your Commonwealth Rent Assistance.

We’ll cover the rest (called the subsidy) and pay it directly to your landlord or real estate agent. After 12 months, your rent contribution will gradually increase, and we’ll guide you through the changes.

The subsidy can be paid for up to 36 months. Every three months, we will review your need for the subsidy and see if you need more support.

You might receive a bigger subsidy in certain areas where the rent is higher.

Finding an affordable rental

To qualify for the subsidy, your rent must be affordable. A property is affordable if the rent is no more than 50% of your income plus any Commonwealth Rent Assistance.

Additional support

You may also get:

Get Started Support: Up to $850 for costs like a holding deposit, transport, clothing, or ID photocopying.
Brokerage Assistance: Funds for moving costs, furniture, or study needs once you sign a lease.

Accessing other housing assistance

You can also apply for other types of private rental assistance, including:

Tenancy Facilitation: help to search and apply for private rental properties.
Private Rental Brokerage Service: help for eligible clients with complex needs to secure and sustain private rental accommodation.
Bond Extra: a guarantee of up to $1,500 over the rental bond amount that may be paid to landlords or agents if there are rental arrears and/or property damage when a Residential Tenancy Agreement ends.
Rentstart Bond Loan: an interest free loan to help pay up to four weeks’ bond.
Advance Rent: a grant to help pay for 1-2 weeks rent in advance at the start of a tenancy.