Eligibility And Applications
You must:
- be able to establish your identity
- not own any assets or property which could reasonably be expected to resolve housing need
- in general, be at least 18 years of age
- have income between the limits specified for individual properties.
Eligibility criteria will be reassessed every 12 months.
Rentwell properties will be advertised on All Homes www.allhomes.com.au . There will be a time advertised to view the property, all applicants must have viewed the property. If you are still interested a tenancy application must be completed and emailed to rentwell@ywca-canberra.org.au.
The time that a tenant applicant will wait before being offered housing depends on a number of factors, including:
- the supply of properties and the number of vacancies
- the number of people who have demonstrated a higher need to be housed
Costs And Fees
You are responsible for charges associated with the consumption of services used during the tenancy provided there is a separate meter, for example electricity, gas, water and telephone.
The property owner must provide copies of any relevant bills for you to verify in order for them to be paid. The property owner cannot request payment for all bills at the end of the tenancy.
Yes, all new tenants must pay four weeks of their rebated rent as bond at the start of their lease. In recognition of hardship that this may pose to many tenants, you can apply for a Housing ACT Bond Loan.
This is agreed to by the tenant on the Bond Payment Information form. Bonds are paid directly to the ACT Revenue Office who will issue the tenant with a receipt to acknowledge the lodgement of the bond. The lodgement of the bond form will be submitted by the YWCA.
Rent is always due two weeks in advance, with the first fortnightly rent due on the start date of the tenancy agreement.
Rentwell tenants pay less than 75 per cent of market rent. The specific amount is agreed prior to you entering into an agreement with YWCA Canberra.
If Circumstances Change
If your circumstances change you will need to advise the Rentwell Property Manager by email.
This will not affect your tenancy as YWCA Canberra holds the head lease with the property owner. Your lease will continue as per the fixed term tenancy agreement until the end date.
We will inform you of any changes which may effect your tenancy. If the property you are renting is no longer available at the end of the lease period, we will work with you, doing our best to find alternate affordable housing.
The expectation is that the rent will be paid in line with the tenancy agreement being fortnightly, (two weeks in advance).
If you foresee a problem then you will need to contact the Property Manager immediately.
It is never too late to contact your Property Manager if you are experiencing problems paying your rent.
In serious or repeated cases, where we have not been able to make contact with you or you have not attempted to repay your debt, we will take action in accordance with the ACT Residential Tenancies Act to terminate your tenancy and take possession of your home.
All tenants give us 21 days written notice of their intention to vacate a property.
All tenants are required to continue to pay rent until the end of the notice period. If a tenant vacates the property and returns the key before the end of the notice period, and a new tenant is able to commence the tenancy during the notice period, the departing tenant is entitled to a refund of any rent paid for the period after the new lease agreement starts.
When a Notice to Vacate is emailed to Rentwell a notice to vacate letter with all relevant information will be sent to you, including details of the final inspection.
You need to provide us with reasonable access to the property in the last three weeks of your tenancy agreement for prospective new tenants to view the property. We will provide you with at least 24 hours’ notice of any such inspections.
Inspections, Maintenance And Repairs
Property inspections are conducted within the first 30 days of the tenancy starting, then approximately every 6 months, and then if required within the last month of the tenancy terminating.
We provide tenants with at least one week’s notice prior to any inspections.
During an inspection YWCA Canberra may take photographs of damage to property or of matters requiring repair or remedy so long as they do not unnecessarily infringe the tenant’s right to privacy.
We will only conduct inspections Monday-Friday during normal business hours.
An urgent repair is work that is needed to repair:
- a burst water service
- a blocked or broken lavatory system
- a serious roof leak
- a gas leak
- a dangerous electrical fault
- flooding or serious flood damage
- serious storm or fire damage
- a failure of gas, electricity or water supply to the property
- the failure of a refrigerator supplied with the property
- a failure or breakdown of any service on the property essential for hot water, cooking, heating or laundering
- a fault or damage that causes the residential property to be unsafe or insecure
- a serious fault in any door, staircase, lift or other common area which inhibits or unduly inconveniences the tenant in gaining access to and use of the property
- a fault or damage likely to cause injury to person or property
YWCA Canberra is a feminist, non-profit community organisation that has been providing community services and representing women’s issues in the Canberra community since its establishment in 1929.
Rentwell is a new property management service of YWCA Canberra that provides affordable rental properties owned by private investors to people on moderate incomes who are struggling to secure and maintain tenancies in the mainstream market.
To be an eligible tenant for Rentwell, the following maximum gross household income annual limits apply:
- Income Quintile 1: Households earning up to $55,000 per annum; or
- Income Quintile 2: Households earning between $55,000 and $100,000 per annum
Eligibility does not guarantee that an offer of housing will be made. Those eligible will be prioritised according to available and suitable properties that will be available for affordable rent up to a maximum of 74.9% of market rent.
All Residential Tenancy Agreements are subject to the ACT Residential Tenancies Act.