Apply for social housing

To apply for social housing, you must follow the below steps:

Step 1. Talk to housing staff

You can talk to:

• someone at your local housing office
• the housing officer in your local community
• a Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities officer when they're in your community.

If you need an interpreter or translator, housing staff can help organise one.

Step 2. Read the application

Read the application for social housing so you understand what you need to do.

Whether you live remote or in a town area, you must use the same form.

Application for social housing DOCX (532.6 KB)
Application for social housing PDF (1.1 MB)

Information you will need

Check you have all the information you need to complete your application.

You must provide all of the following:

• your current address
• names of all the people who will be living with you
• photo identification for everyone over 18 years old
• household income such as your pay, the name of your employer or how much you get from Centrelink
• anything you own such as another house or money in the bank
  • you must provide bank statements for the last 3 months for all of your accounts
• marriage certificate if you're married
• birth certificates for all children listed in the application or the child selection document from Centrelink
• 2 tenancy references - ask your housing office about a referral to non-government organisations who may be able to help you with:
  • medium-term accommodation and
  • the chance to get a tenancy reference.

To find out more about the supporting documents you need, read the fact sheets on the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities website.

Step 3. Talk to your household about your application

Show your application to your household and explain that they will be named in the form.

Step 4. Fill in your application

Fill in all sections of your application and have all applicants read and sign the declaration section.

If you need some help with the application, contact your local housing office.

If you have more than 5 people in your household

If you have more than five people in your household, fill in the additional applicant/household members form for each extra person with your application.

Additional applicant/household members form DOCX (72.9 KB)
Additional applicant/household members form PDF (482.7 KB)

For each extra person over 18 years old, you must provide suitable proof of identity and income information.

You can only use this form when you first apply for public housing. You can't use it to add people to your tenancy after you get a house.

If you need some help with this form, contact your local housing office.

Step 5. Submit your application

Submit your application at your local housing office or to a housing officer when they're in your community.

You can also ask the housing officer to check your form.

It may take several weeks to find out if your application has been approved.

If your application is approved

You will be contacted and put on the waiting list.

The department or a community housing provider (CHP) will contact you again when it's your turn to be offered accommodation and a suitable property becomes available.

Waiting times vary and in some areas, it can take over 5 years.

You will be contacted while you are on the waiting list to:

• see if you still want to stay on the list and
• confirm your current circumstances.

If your circumstances change

You must contact the department every 6 months to:

• confirm your contact details
• tell them if your situation has changed.

If you don't, you might miss an offer of housing and your application might be cancelled.

If you need to update your application, call or visit your local housing office.

If your application is not approved

You will receive a letter telling you why your application has not been approved.

You can speak to your local housing office for more information.

Allocation of a home

Before you can move into a social housing property, all of the following must happen:

• your weekly rent will be worked out
• you will agree on how you pay your rent
• you will have to sign a tenancy or occupancy agreement with:
  • the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities or
  • a CHP.

Read your agreement

You must read your tenancy or occupancy agreement before you sign it.

It includes your rights and responsibilities like how much rent you will have to pay.

It also includes the responsibilities of the social housing provider.

You should keep a copy of your agreement.

If you are a public housing tenant, read more about your tenancy or occupancy agreement, paying your rent and looking after your house.

If your tenancy agreement is with a CHP, contact them directly or go to their website for more information.

If you don't understand your agreement

Talk to your housing office if you don't understand the agreement.

Ask for an interpreter or translator if you need one.

Read the condition report

You must read the condition report before you sign it.

This condition report includes a description of your home when you move in including any damage.

You will have time to go through the house and make sure the condition report matches the condition of each room.

If anything doesn't match, you must let your social housing provider know within 5 business days of receiving the condition report.

You should ask for a copy of this report once you have signed it.

For more information, contact your local housing office or CHP.