Tenancy charges and account management - previous policy rules and rates

Prior to 12 October 2009: This deduction did not apply.

12 October 2009 to 9 October 2011:\
$30 per week was excluded from income of full pensioners with a pro-rata amount deducted for part pensioners.

10 October 2011 to 22 April 2012:
$15 per week was excluded from income of full pensioners with a pro-rata amount deducted for part pensioners.

23 April 2012 to 7 October 2012:
$5.55 per week was excluded from income of full pensioners with a pro-rata amount deducted for part pensioners.

From 8 October 2012:
This deduction no longer applied.

Prior to 5 December 2005:
The minimum rent assessment only applied to single person households. Where other household members received an income, Homes NSW assessed the subsidy based on the income of the other household members.

From 5 December 2005:
Where a person did not receive an income, Homes NSW applied the minimum rent assessment, even if there were other people in the household receiving an income. However, Homes NSW could only assess one person in the household without an income at the $5 minimum rent.

From 11 July 2006:
The $5 minimum rent applies to all adult household members who do not receive an income, as documented in the $5 minimum rent criteria table in section 4 above.

18% Pensioner Concession
Homes NSW assessed Aged, Disability and Veterans pensioners at 18% of their income (where they have held this entitlement since 1990). Provided that they have no other household members and any additional income is less than $11 per week for singles and $22 per week for couples and they were receiving a Postal Concession and do not effect a mutual exchange.

From 12 October 2009, Homes NSW increased the pensioner concession rate by 1% to 19%. These increases will continue until the tenant is charged 25% of income in rent from October 2015.

18% Pensioner Concession
The tenant will retain the 18% pensioner concession rate if they have had continued eligibility since February 1990.

From 12 October 2009, Homes NSW increased the pensioner concession rate by 1% to 19%. These increases will continue until the tenant is charged 25% of income in rent from October 2015.

Statutory incomes of people over 25
Homes NSW assessed the statutory incomes of tenants, partners and other household members 25 years and over at:

• 21% from 3 April 2000
• 22% from 7 May 2001
• 23% from 6 May 2002
• 24% from 30 June 2003
• 25% from 15 November 2004

Non-statutory incomes of people over 25
Homes NSW applied a 1% increase, up to 25%, to the non-statutory incomes of tenants, partners and other household members 25 years of age and over. Sliding scale ends at 25% when gross income is over:

• $590 per week from 3 April 2000
• $530 per week from 7 May 2001
• $470 per week from 6 May 2002
• $410 per week from 30 June 2003
• Sliding scale ends 15 November 2004

See the tables below for more details

Stage 1 commenced on 5 December 2005. From that date, Homes NSW charged all non-exempt tenants a percentage of their rent payable as a water usage charge.

This charge applied whether or not the tenant’s home had a separate or shared water meter.

This section only applies to tenants who were current tenants of Homes NSW on 5 November 2006.

From 5 December 2005, Homes NSW charged every non-exempt tenant a weekly percentage water charge of the tenant’s weekly rent payable.

From 6 November 2006, for those tenants required to pay an actual water charge, Homes NSW made a calculation on a reconciliation date to compare the percentage water usage charged to the tenant from 5 December 2005 up to the end date of the latest water authority billing period, with the actual water usage payable over the same period.

For new tenants who commenced their tenancy after 5 December 2005, this reconciliation period commenced on the start date of their tenancy.
Homes NSW posted any credit adjustment due to the tenant arising from the reconciliation to their water usage account. Homes NSW waived any debit adjustment arising from the reconciliation.

The reconciliation date varied for each tenant and followed receipt by Homes NSW of the first bill from the relevant water authority after 6 November, where:
The tenant lived in the property for the full period of that water usage bill, and
The start date of that water usage billing period was a date on or after 1 July 2006.
Where actual usage information was not available to Homes NSW for the full period covered by the reconciliation, Homes NSW used all available information to estimate actual water usage over the full reconciliation period.
Where a tenancy started after 5 December 2005, Homes NSW used the tenancy start date for reconciliation, except where a tenant transferred to their property from another Homes NSW property. In that case, Homes NSW sought to reconcile the tenant’s account back to 5 December 2005, using links to any former tenancies in separately metered dwellings since 5 December 2005. Where this was not possible, the tenant’s account was automatically reconciled back to the earliest date linked on the Homes NSW system, and tenants were able to request a manual adjustment for any previous tenancies in separately metered dwellings between 5 December 2005 and the earliest date available.

Where an earlier tenancy was a joint tenancy, the tenancy was not included in the automated reconciliation but may have been included in a manual adjustment.

Where a tenant left their Homes NSW property after 5 December 2005 but before a reconciliation occurred, a reconciliation of the vacated account was not undertaken.