Rent Assistance - Services Australia

Rent Assistance (Services Australia)

Rent Assistance is a regular extra payment paid automatically if you pay eligible rent or accommodation costs and you get an eligible payment from Services Australia.

You do not need to submit a claim for Rent Assistance. Services Australia checks whether you can get it when you either submit a claim for an eligible payment, or already get an eligible payment and you tell them that your address, accommodation or rent details have changed. If you are eligible you may be asked to complete a Rent Certificate or provide a formal tenancy agreement - only if they ask.

Who can get it: you can get Rent Assistance if you get an eligible payment and your eligible rent or accommodation costs are over a certain amount. The amount depends on how much rent you pay.

Your obligation: you must tell Services Australia about changes to your rent or accommodation details while you get Rent Assistance.

Information is available in other languages, including Tagalog, and there is a multilingual phone service for Centrelink payments and services. Use the interpreter line 131 450 for help in your language.

Source: Services Australia (page last updated 14 July 2026, QC 22206).