Rent Choice Youth supports you by:
- helping you find a safe and affordable place to rent privately
- paying a portion of your rent for up to 36 months
- referring you to education and employment support services, to help you become financially independent.
You must be in contact with a support provider who is part of a Rent Choice Youth Partner Facilitation Group. They will help you identify and achieve education and employment goals.
Speak to your support provider to see if Rent Choice Youth is right for you.
Rent Choice Youth eligibility
You may be eligible for Rent Choice Youth if you are:
- 16-24 years old
- homeless or at risk of being homeless
- eligible for social housing
- committed to pursuing education, training or employment
- engaged with a support provider, and willing to stay engaged
- on low income or enrolled in studies.
Applying for Rent Choice Youth
To apply for Rent Choice Youth, complete the following steps:
1
Speak with a support provider
Speak with a support provider about a referral to Rent Choice Youth. Ask them to complete a Rent Choice referral form.
Income requirements
To receive Rent Choice Youth, you must be eligible for social housing. Your household’s income, size and type must also meet the social housing income eligibility limits.
We will use your income including any Commonwealth Rent Assistance to calculate the amount of your subsidy. We will do this even if you haven't applied for it or aren't receiving it.
You must let us know within 28 days if there are any changes to your circumstances, including changes to income.
Asset requirements
You can receive Rent Choice Youth if you have assets that you can’t access right now. For example, you might have a trust or inheritance that is currently out of reach due to specific circumstances.
Youth Share
Rent Choice Youth clients may also be eligible for help to share accommodation with other young people. For more information on Youth Share go to the Rent Choice policy.
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 as a 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.
Additional support
You may also receive:
- Get Started: up to $850 to help pay for a holding deposit on a property and costs associated with searching for and securing private rental accommodation such as transport, clothing and haircuts and photocopying ID.
- Brokerage: to help pay for goods and services to set up a new home such as furniture, moving costs and study costs.
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 4 weeks’ bond. Apply online for a Rentstart Bond Loan.