If your rental home is uninhabitable due to the recent flooding in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions, and you need support to relocate to a new rental home, you may be eligible for financial and other housing support.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: $5,500
- Application opened: 25 August 2025
- Application closed: 30 October 2025
Program objective
The Program provides a grant to help renters secure and maintain new rental tenancies if their previous tenancy was deemed uninhabitable and ended due to the NSW East Coast Severe Weather from 18 May 2025 (AGRN 1212).
It aims to:
- support renters to remain in the private rental market.
- reduce the risk of renters, who could previously support themselves, becoming dependent on social housing, statutory income or other government support as a result of disaster displacement.
- reduce demand for more costly recovery measures, such as temporary housing and emergency accommodation, which do not offer a pathway to long-term housing.
This program is administered by Homes NSW and NSW Reconstruction Authority.
This program is funded by NSW Reconstruction Authority.
Eligibility
Who can apply
You can apply for the Renters Bond and Advanced Rent Grant if:
- you were living in a rental property in a local government area included in the Natural Disaster Declaration AGRN 1212 before the disaster as your primary residence
- you can no longer return to this property because it is uninhabitable due to the disaster
- your household taxable income is below the income threshold of $100,000 per year ($1923/week).
Who can’t apply
You cannot apply if:
- you are a landlord wanting to claim expenses for a property that you rent out
- you are an owner-occupier or homeowner
- you were not living in a rental property prior to the event
- someone from your household has already applied for the grant on your behalf.
What you can apply for
The Renters Bond and Advanced Rent Grant is a one-off, flat-rate payment of $5,500.
The grant can be used flexibly towards:
- a new rental bond
- rent in advance in a private rental
- relocation, reconnection and removalist expenses.
More information
You can download the full guidelines and access other useful information:
Program Guidelines - Renters Bond and Advance Rent Grant
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(PDF 395.52KB)Fact Sheet - Renters Bond and Advanced Rent Grant
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(PDF 117.83KB)FAQs - Renters Bond and Advanced Rent Grant
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(PDF 155.21KB)Exceptional Circumstances Policy
File
Exceptional Circumstances Policy (PDF 166.97KB)
What your application needs to include
You need to provide the following documents:
- a copy of your driver’s license or other verified photo identification, and
- a copy of your residential tenancy agreement, i.e. your lease
- proof of income, e.g. payslips, Centrelink statement, 2024/25 tax statement.
We’ll check the property against the available NSW Government data sources and the Rental Bond Board to make sure you’re eligible for the grant/s.
We will let you know if you need to supply any additional information such as a letter from your real estate agent or landlord.
Start the application
Call the Housing Recovery Service on 1800 695 043 to discuss your eligibility and to apply.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by Homes NSW.
All applications are assessed by a Homes NSW Assessment Officer and applicants will be notified about their outcomes once the assessment is complete.
Support and contact
Call the Housing Recovery Service on 1800 695 043for questions regarding this grant.