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.

Be ready for Cyclone Season!

The following links provide important information for keeping safe in cyclone season and getting prepared.

Cairns Regional Council – Household Emergency Plan

Cairns Regional Council – Household Emergency Kit

Queensland Government – Get Ready Queensland

• Our office is open, but we are observing COVID-19 safety measures.
• Please do not attend our office if you are unwell or if you have cold or flu symptoms. Call us instead on 07 4031 6702.
• Use the hand sanitiser provided when you arrive and when you leave.
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Sneeze or cough into your elbow or use a tissue.
• We recommend you bring your own pen if you are completing documents, but this is not mandatory.
• You are welcome to attend our office if required, but if you business can be conducted by telephone, please call 07 4031 6702 instead. You can also email us at admin@achc.org.au

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
• 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)

Please do not install improvements/renovate your home without our approval

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 the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (DCHDE) and for the Queensland Ombudsman can be found on our Resources page.

The information provided on this page has been sourced from the Queensland Government Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (DCHDE) and from QShelter.

There are 5 ways we can all help stop the spread of viruses

1. Clean your hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rubs.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing.
3. Avoid touching your face, nose and mouth. And avoid shaking hands.
4. Stay home if you are unwell.
5. Avoid contact with anyone who is unwell – try to stay 1.5m away from anyone coughing or sneezing.

Looking after yourself by eating a healthy, balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, sleeping well and reducing stress is important all the time.

Routine household cleaning

Effective cleaning in the household is important for reducing the risk of transmission of many germs. The aim of environmental cleaning is to minimise the number of germs that survive on surfaces. This fact sheet provides general information about routine household cleaning only. More specific advice may be required for communal or outbreak settings.

The principles of effective cleaning

• Reduce the number of germs in the environment.
• Prevent cross infection – clean the cleanest areas first then finish in the dirtier areas + separate cleaning equipment for kitchen and bathrooms.
• Mechanical cleaning – Use a clean cloth, detergent and water to clean the surface, then rinse with clean water and another clean cloth, and then allow to dry. This is the most useful method for removing germs from surfaces.
• Disinfectants – Only necessary if a surface has been contaminated with infectious material. Disinfectants will not work on a dirty surface.
• Keep frequently touched surfaces clean.
• Wash linen regularly in detergent and hot water.
  

  Effective environmental cleaning

  Some germs can survive in the environment, especially on frequently touched surfaces such as bench tops, door handles and toys. The length of time a germ can survive on a surface depends on the germ itself, the type of surface it has contaminated and how often the surface is cleaned. Reducing the number of germs in the environment can break the chain of infection.

  Basic steps for effective routine cleaning

  Start the cleaning process in the cleanest areas and finish in the dirtier areas (also see cleaning equipment section). This method helps prevent cross-infection because it decreases the risk of contaminating a clean room with germs from a dirty room. Wear either single-use or reusable gloves (such as washing-up gloves) when cleaning. If using reusable gloves wash them off using running water and detergent, and hang them outside to dry. Wash your hands after you have finished cleaning and removed the gloves.

  Washing germs away

  Routine mechanical (rubbing) cleaning with detergent and water (use as per the label instructions), followed by rinsing and drying is the most useful method for removing germs from surfaces. A clean cloth (disposable or able to be laundered) should be used each time. Detergents help to loosen the germs so that they can be rinsed away with clean water and then allowing the surface to dry, makes it harder for germs to survive or grow.

  Cleaning equipment

  Good cleaning equipment includes mops with detachable heads (so they can be washed in a washing machine using hot water), disposable cloths or cloths that can be laundered, and vacuum cleaners preferably fitted with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters to reduce dust being dispersed. Ensure that cleaning equipment is well maintained, cleaned and appropriately stored.

  Different cloths should be used for cleaning different areas, e.g. kitchen, bathroom, toilet. It can be useful to have colour-coded cloths or sponges for each area (e.g. blue in the bathroom, yellow in the kitchen) so that it is easier to keep them separate.

  Disinfectants

  Disinfectants are usually only necessary if a surface has been contaminated with potentially infectious material. Most germs do not survive for long on clean surfaces when exposed to air and light. Routine cleaning with detergent and water should be enough to reduce germ numbers.

  If you do need to use a disinfectant, the disinfectant will not kill germs if the surface has not been cleaned first. Clean surfaces using the advice in the Washing germs away section.

  To kill germs, any disinfectant must:

  • • • have enough time in contact with the surface to kill the germs (as per the manufacturer’s instructions)
      • be used at the right concentration
      • be applied to a clean, dry surface
      • be effective against those particular germs.

  Frequency of cleaning

  Clean all frequently touched surfaces at least weekly. If anyone in the household is sick, cleaning should be done more often, at least daily. This includes items such as kitchen benches, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and bedside tables. Surfaces should be visibly clean.

  Linen

  Wash linen regularly in detergent and hot water. Do not carry used linen against your own clothing, take it to the laundry in a basket, bag or similar.

  Further information

  If you are concerned visit your GP or contact 13HEALTH

  More information is available at health.qld.gov.au/coronavirus.