Complaints, Appeals & Feedback

Home in Place is committed to ensuring all tenants and applicants have fair and equitable access to its services.

If you are not happy with our service, standards, practices or policies, you have the right to make a complaint. You may think we are taking too long to get something done or you are not happy with the outcome. You can complain about any part of the service you receive. Home in Place welcomes complaints and views them as a way to improve services and be accountable to tenants.

We hope that most complaints can be resolved by discussing it with the staff member, however sometimes this may not be successful or you may not consider it appropriate to do so.

The Complaint Process

The following information is important to remember about our complaints system:

Complaints can be lodged in person, over the phone or by email.
Home in Place will acknowledge your complaint in writing as soon as practicable.
Complaints will be investigated as quickly as possible in accordance with company policies and procedures.
You have the right to use an advocate or a friend to assist you throughout the process.
Complaints received will be recorded in an appropriate manner.
The complaints process will be communicated to applicants and tenants in appropriate formats.
Home in Place will respond to all complaints in a confidential, effective, and timely manner.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, there are a variety of external avenues available. They may include, making an application to the NSW Registrar of Community Housing, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) or the QLD Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).

How do I make a complaint and what happens?

Obtain a copy of the Complaint Form from your local branch, or by downloading a copy:

Make sure you include as much information as possible about your complaint. Anonymous complaints are only investigated in special circumstances.

Lodge the Complaint Form to our Complaints Officer via email at [email protected] or with your Tenancy Relations Officer. Alternatively, complaints may be lodged in person at any of our branches or over the phone.

We will send you a letter to let you know we received your complaint and will start investigating it. We may need to contact you if we need more information.

All complaints will be reviewed and all information available at the time of complaint will be considered.

Following the investigation, a formal response will be forwarded to you in writing Complaints will be investigated as quickly as possible. Complaints that relate to a simple matter should be finalised within seven days and a maximum of 30 days.

Please note, to protect the rights and privacy of tenants and staff, we may not be able to tell you the result of the investigation if it involves others.

For more information please refer to our Policies page.

Complaints about Neighbours or Antisocial Behaviour

Home in Place takes all complaints about antisocial or disruptive behaviour seriously and will investigate each incident in a fair and reasonable manner. Home in Place can only take action when satisfied that the antisocial/disruptive behaviour has occurred, and the complaint relates to a tenancy issue. When an incident is confirmed appropriate action will be taken.

Home in Place can only investigate allegations if the alleged behaviour may be a breach of a tenancy agreement. Some complaints MUST first be reported to the relevant authority, for instance, suspected illegal activity must be reported to the police and certain matters must be reported to your local Council, including excessive dog barking, dangerous or roaming animals and cars blocking footpaths.

Where there is a dispute between neighbours, Home in Place will not normally get involved except where required to so under the relevant tenancy legislation. Dispute resolution services, for example, Community Justice Centres in NSW or the Department of Justice and Attorney General’s Dispute Resolution Service (QLD) may be able to assist with these types of disputes.

Home in Place cannot investigate alleged criminal/illegal behaviour and this type of alleged activity should be reported to the police.

Examples of behaviour that must be reported to the police includes:

a neighbour being either physically or verbally harassed by another neighbour
threats with weapons
domestic violence
suspected illegal drug activity
stalking
theft

Home in Place investigates all complaints of antisocial and disruptive behaviour thoroughly and fairly, giving tenants the opportunity to respond. Tenants can have a support person or advocate help them with this process.

We can only take action after being satisfied that the behaviour has occurred, and that the complaint relates to a tenancy matter that Home in Place is responsible for. In some cases, Home in Place is not able to confirm that an incident has occurred.

Home in Place must also ensure we have provided the tenant with a reasonable chance to address their behaviour. Home in Place may take a range of actions to help the tenant address the behaviour and maintain their tenancy, including referral to a support service, closely monitoring the tenancy or action in the Tribunal.

Incident Diaries

If you are experiencing serious ongoing or persistent problems with a Home in Place tenant, please complete the relevant Incident Diary and lodge it with to our Complaints Officer via email at [email protected]

Incident Diary NSW – Download
Incident Diary QLD – Download
Incident Diary VIC – Download

For more information please refer to our Policies page.

Internal Reviews and Appeals

If you are a Home in Place tenant or applicant for housing, and unhappy about our decision, you can appeal our decisions through our internal appeals process.

How do I lodge an appeal?

Download the Appeal Request Form HERE or obtain a copy from your local branch office.
Lodge the Appeal Form at your branch office or via post to Home in Place PO Box 58 Wickham NSW 2293 – including supporting documentation and any new information since the original decision. You will receive a letter confirming receipt of your appeal as soon as practicable and advisement of what will happen next.
You can request an interview, if deemed necessary, you can bring a friend or advocate for help or support. Please advise Home in Place if you require an interpreter.
Your Appeal Request will be reviewed by management and then, if required, will be referred to the Home in Place Internal Review Committee for determination. You will be notified, in writing, of the outcome of the review.

The following information is important to remember about our appeals system

The process of assessing and completing appeals will take no longer than 28 days from the date of receipt, if a delay is to occur, Home in Place will notify you of the expected timeframe and reasons for this.
You have the right to use an advocate or a friend to assist you throughout the process.
Appeals received will be recorded in an appropriate manner.
The Appeals process will be communicated to applicants and tenants in appropriate formats.
Home in Place will respond to all complaints and appeals in a confidential, effective, and timely manner.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your appeal, Home in Place will provide information on the other avenues available to you.

For more information please refer to our Policies page.

Other options

If you are still dissatisfied, some matters may be appealable to the Housing Appeals Committee (NSW) or the Housing Appeal and Review Unit (QLD). More information on the Housing Appeals Committee (NSW) can be found at www.hac.nsw.gov.au and the Housing Appeal and Review Unit (QLD) at www.qld.gov.au/housing

Community housing provider tenants who want to make a complaint about that provider, may contact the National Regulatory System for Community Housing Registrar via the on-line form at www.nrsch.gov.au.

Complaints regarding a breach of ACFID Code of Conduct

Home in Place is committed to adhering to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct.

If a person has reasonable grounds to believe there has been a breach of the Code, they may make a complaint to ACFID. Complaints against a member may be initiated by any member of the public, other ACFID members, and any other body.

The independent Code of Conduct Committee is responsible for investigating complaints. The process through which complaints are investigated and findings determined is outlined in ACFID Code of Conduct Complaints Handling available at acfid.asn.au/content/complaints.