Everyone should have a safe and comfortable living space. Our commitment to tenants’ satisfaction starts with the Minimum Housing Standards, ensuring the homes we manage meet essential criteria for tenant’s peace of mind.

To find out more information about the Minimum Housing Standards for current and new tenancies, download this flyer here.

Rent

• The amount of rent paid is determined by the combined gross assessable household income.
• Tenants pay 25% (or 28% for CMSU) of income as rent plus rent assistance.
• If the household income decreases or increases, so does the rent.
• Most tenants are eligible for rent assistance from the Department of Human Services.
• Rent can be paid in various ways and will be discussed at sign up.

Payments

At the beginning of your tenancy, Access Community Housing will give you a tenant reference number. Please quote this number when making any tenancy-related payment. Payments can be made in the following ways.

• Pay through Centapay
• Pay through EFT in the office
• Pay through Direct debit and bank transfer

Weekly or fortnightly rent must be paid on time. If you receive a Centrelink payment, the most convenient way to pay is using Centrepay – please talk to your Housing Manager for details. Please note that cash is not accepted at the office. Cash payments must be made at the bank.

Rent Reviews

It is an eligibility requirement that all tenants complete an annual rent review. All general income is considered assessable when calculating your rent including Centrelink payments, allowances and wages.

If you require any maintenance on your home, please advise your Housing Officer during office hours. The office can be contacted on (07) 4031 6702 or email admin@achc.org.au

For properties in the CRS program, most maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner, so your Property Officer will pass the request to the owner for them to arrange for the repair.

All Repairs & Maintenance Must Be Reported

All repairs and maintenance, including any damage, must be reported to our office in writing as soon as possible.

Emergency Repair & Maintenance Issues

If you have an emergency plumbing or electrical problem, or if you have a broken window or damaged door that has made your property unsecure outside officer hours, please call 1300 782 586. Please ensure you have this number and ONLY use if you have a problem that is dangerous, a threat to your health or may cause substantial property damage. When you call 1300 782 586 you can select option 1 for an electrician, option 2 for a plumber or option 3 if you have a broken window or damaged door that has made your property unsecure. If you have locked yourself out of your property outside of office hours, please contact a local locksmith.

As a tenant, you are required to maintain your home in good condition.

We ask you to take care of your home by following these tips:

• report gas, water leaks and electrical faults immediately
• tell us if you are having problems with things like the roof, gutter leaks, unsafe stairs, dripping taps, etc
• keep the garden tidy and mow the grass regularly – read this poster Yard Maintenance Information
• remove and dispose of all rubbish
• tell us of any damage as soon as it happens
• keep ceilings, walls, floors, fixtures and fittings clean
• do not flush bulky items, fat or oil down toilets
• do not attempt to carry out serious repair work such as electrical, plumbing or structural work on the property—call us
• check the hot water unit for leaks (it’s normal for overflow pipes to drip from time to time, particularly in cooler weather)
• do not install improvements/renovate your home without our approval
• Inflatable swimming pools are not allowed – read this poster Swimming Pools – Not Allowed

Please ensure you review this poster Tenant Responsibilities for Maintenance.

If you have an emergency plumbing or electrical problem outside of office hours please call 1300 782 586. This number is to ONLY be used in the event of an emergency repair. If you are experiencing an emergency repair situation during office hours, please call our office immediately on (07) 4031 6702.

Emergency repairs are the following:

• a burst water service or a serious water service leak
• a blocked or broken toilet
• a serious roof leak
• a gas leak
• a dangerous electrical fault
• flooding or serious flood damage
• serious storm, fire or impact damage
• a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
• a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance on the property for hot water, cooking or heating
• a fault or damage that makes the property unsafe or insecure
• a fault or damage likely to injure a person or damage property
• a serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area of the property that prevents a tenant in gaining access to, or using, the property.

When you call the 1300 782 586 you can select option 1 for an electrician, option 2 for a plumber or option 3 if you have a broken window or damaged door that has made your property unsecure. If you have locked yourself out of your property outside of office hours, please contact a local locksmith.

As with the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy public housing, as the tenant, you are responsible for paying the full costs of repairing any damage caused by you, a household member or a visitor you allowed onto the property. For example, you would be required to pay for the repairs if a window was broken while children were playing in your yard or you were mowing the lawn.

You can either arrange the repairs yourself or contact us and we will arrange for the repairs and apply a debt to your account. If you arrange the repairs yourself, they must be completed to an acceptable standard. If we arrange for the repair of property damage, you will be sent an invoice for the repair and will need to make payment.

Deliberate or reckless damage to a property by a tenant, a member of your household or a visitor you allowed onto the property is not acceptable. We will take action to end tenancies for deliberate or reckless property damage.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact Access Community Housing Company today on phone (07) 4031 6702.

Access Community Housing Company operates under a strict Client Service Charter. In conjunction with this our tenants have a right to: be treated fairly and with respect; not be discriminated against; be provided with accurate advice and information; have their privacy respected and their information kept confidential; have information and services provided in a prompt, courteous and efficient manner; be provided with all information and resources necessary to fulfil their obligations to ACHC as a tenant.

How Can You Help Us Provide The Best Housing Services?

• Always treat staff, contractors and support workers with respect, honesty and fairness
• Show respect for neighbours and other tenants
• Tell us when there is a problem or something is damaged, broken or not working
• Treat the property with care and consideration
• Provide us with correct information and let us know when your circumstances change
• Allow reasonable access to your home for staff and contractors when inspections or maintenance is scheduled
• Abide by your tenancy agreement and Housing Manager in the first instance to resolve issues
• Provide us with feedback, so we can continue to improve our services to meet your needs

If you have any queries or would like more information in regards to your rights and responsibilities as an ACHC tenant, please contact the office or your Housing Manager.

Access Community Housing Company is the landlord for all current tenants. We expect our tenants to live in their premises in a way that is respectful to the property, its neighbours and the community. In conjunction with this, we expect tenants to be responsible for the property and the actions of any household member or visitor to the property. ACHC will work with you to assist in the resolution of any neighbour disputes. Please talk to your Housing Manager for more information in regards to this.

• Complaint Form [pdf]
• Notice of Intention to Leave (Form 13) [pdf]
• Tenant Information Booklet [pdf]

As a current tenant of ACHC you need to keep us informed of any change of circumstances which may impact on your community housing arrangement. This includes, but is not limited to change in income or the number of people living at the property. Advice of change of circumstances must be provided to ACHC within 28 days of it taking place. Failure to do so could be breaching your tenant requirements. Change of circumstances information can be provided to your Housing Manager or direct to ACHC on phone (07) 4031 6702 or admin@achc.org.au

Access Community Housing Company Ltd respects your privacy and recognises that privacy is very important. We are committed to protecting your personal information, and will ensure that we collect and store your details in a manner that is compliant with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

The personal information we collect about you may include your name, address, phone number, income details, next of kin and other housing related information to help us identify your needs and assist you in maintaining a successful tenancy. Generally, we collect and store this information for the purpose of our internal use to help us identify any legal requirements, identification and the assessment of the services that you may require. We may disclose personal information about you to another service to assist us in meeting your tenancy needs.

By providing us with your personal and sensitive information (or by authorising another service provider to disclose this to us), you consent your information being handled by us as stated in our Privacy Policy

The Consent to Collect Information Form will remain valid during your tenancy with our service or unless otherwise stated by you. It is not required to be updated annually unless you advise us of a change in your details.

View our Complaints Management Policy and the associated Client Complaints Resolution Procedure documents.

Contact information and links for Department of Housing and for the Queensland Ombudsman can be found on our Resources page.