The new remote rent framework is a simplified way of paying rent for remote tenants.

It creates a system that is fair and easy to understand where tenants pay a flat rate of $70 per bedroom, per week, for their house.

Tenants living in remote communities, Alice Springs town camps and Tennant Creek community living areas do not need to pay for a bond.

If tenants are at risk of rental stress, where the rent is more than 25% of total assessable household income, a safety net can be applied.

The rental safety net has been developed to ensure that tenants do not experience rental stress.

In rolling out the new framework, historical rental arrears accrued up until 11 December 2021 have been waived.

The new framework will support a system that is fair, affordable, easy to administer and will provide clarity on rent payable for tenants to avoid debt, and ensure that we have a fair public housing system in place for many years to come.

What is changing?

From 6 February 2023:

1. Rent will become a flat rate of $70 per bedroom per week - up to a maximum of $280. This means if the house has more than 4 bedrooms, no more than $280 per week will be paid.
2. There will be no more rental rebates.
3. There will be no more requirement to pay a bond.
4. The person/s on the tenancy agreement - ‘house boss’ ‘co-boss’ - will be responsible for collecting the rent from everyone who lives at the house to make sure the rent is paid on time.

For more information please vist https://tfhc.nt.gov.au/housing-and-homelessness/rent-reform-framework