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Information for tenants
Centrepay™
Use Centrepay to make regular deductions from your Centrelink payment. Centrepay is a voluntary and easy payment option available to Centrelink customers.
Go to Centrepay Services Australia for more information on how to set up your Centrepay deductions.
Post Bill Pay
A post bill card will be issued to you and is uniquely coded to your tenancy. This option can be used for any payment on Compass invoices for water or maintenance or your weekly rent payments.
Bank Cheque or Money Order
A bank cheque or Australia Post money order payment can be made by post or in person at a Branch. Please note if you post the payment it must be received by Compass on the due day of your payment and must clearly identify the tenant’s name and property address.
BPAY
Information for BPAY payments are on your Tenant Statement.
Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) is a non-taxable income supplement paid through Centrelink™ to individuals and families who rent in the private rental market (e.g. Social Housing). It aims to address basic living costs by reducing the proportion of household income that is spent on housing.
The subsidised rent is based on a percentage of assessable household income plus 100% of the household’s entitlement to CRA. This is subject to the qualification that the subsidised rent must not exceed market rent.
Moe information on CRA eligibility rules, including minimum rent amounts and maximum amounts of CRA payable for various income types, can be obtained from the Centrelink™ website: www.humanservices.gov.au
Market rent is the actual rent amount for the property, whereas rebated (or subsidised) rent is the rent that is applicable to a tenant based on their income calculation and eligibility.
A rebated or subsidised rent amount will never exceed the market rent amount.
Calculating Social Housing Rent
Your household’s total gross assessable income will be used to calculate your rent subsidy and the rent you will pay.
You will pay rent based on a percentage of your total household's assessable income or the market rent for the property in which you live – whichever is lowest.
Please note that if successfully placed in Community Housing, you will need to pay rent two (2) weeks in advance.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
Compass will undertake a general income assessment and rent review approximately every six (6) months for all tenants.
Compass must also review its market rents annually to make sure that the rate at which market rent is assessed is in line with current valuations of properties. Tenants will be notified of any adjustments to the market rent.
NRAS Tenants
All tenants housed under the National Rental Affordability Scheme are required to participate in an annual eligibility review in order to receive a rebated rent. Rents for NRAS properties will not exceed 80% of the market rent.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
If rent falls into arrears at any time, the Tenancy Relation Officer will work with the tenant to set a repayment plan to catch up the money owing. Hopefully this should only be a one-off situation.
If tenants do not contact Compass regarding their rent arrears, their tenancy may be at risk. If the arrears period is more than fourteen (14) days and contact has not been made with the Tenancy Relation Officer, a Notice of Termination will be issued.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
A bond is payable when signing your Residential Tenancy Agreement. Compass requires tenants to pay a rental bond at the commencement of a tenancy.
In NSW, the maximum bond payable is equal to four weeks market rent. In Queensland, you will need to pay four weeks of subsidised rent as bond payment.
If you are unable pay the amount in full, please speak with your Tenancy Relations Officer prior to signing your lease, as we may be able to arrange for a payment plan.
All rental bond payments will be remitted to the relevant Bond Board in accordance with the legislation.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
Compass tenants living will be charged water usage in accordance with the relevant legislation.
Water usage charges are identified separately on tenant statements and will need to be paid separately to rent.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
Tenants can apply with the Department of Housing and Public Works for rental grants and interest-free bond loans.
Bond Loans
A bond loan is an interest-free loan of up to a maximum of four weeks rent for eligible people who cannot afford to pay a full rental bond. It must be repaid.
For further information on Bond Loans Click Here
Rental Grants
A rental grant is a one-off grant of two weeks rent to help meet some of the costs of moving into rental accommodation. A rental grant helps people experiencing a housing crisis. It does not have to be repaid.
For further information on Rental Grants Click Here
The No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) can provide eligible applicants with interest-free loans.
Usually these loans are between $800 - $1200 over a period of 12 - 18 months, and can help tenants to purchase essential items such as furniture or white goods.
NILS is designed to enable people to access fair, safe and equitable credit for goods and services.
For further information on NILS - Click Here
The RentConnect Advisory Service provides practical advice and information on how to find and apply for a suitable property. The service also helps people complete a rental application and links them to local real estate agents and community services.
For more information about RentConnect Click Here
Compass is responsible for carrying out maintenance and repairs to properties managed by Compass, compass owned properties and facilitating maintenance and repairs to privately leased properties through the owner or agent.
You are expected to keep your home and grounds in a clean and tidy condition as per your lease agreement and to report damage or any items that need repair within 3 days of the occurrence and to ensure your contact details are up to date.
It is your responsibility to report any matters that require attention via the call centre or directly to your Tenancy Relations Officer.
To ensure a timely service, please give the staff member assisting you the following information:
- Your name
- Your address & current telephone number
- A description of the problem and/or location within the home
- Whether you have reported the problem before
- When is a suitable time for a tradesperson to attend and hopefully fix the problem
- That you advise if you have pets that may need to be restrained whilst repairs are undertaken.
It is important that you make yourself available via the contact number you supplied and that you keep the appointment made by our contractors.
Please allow reasonable access to your home by Compass staff or contracted tradespeople during the working hours 8:30am-5pm to either assess the condition of the property or to carry out identified maintenance repairs.
Compass staff or Contractor’s will not enter your premises when you are not home, unless you have made alternative arrangements for someone else to provide access to the property, or with the exception of emergency situations. In such circumstances all care will be taken to make necessary repairs and ensure the security of your property and premises.
The initial point of contact for tenants with maintenance issues is to call 1300 333 733.
A Service Request will be raised by a staff member which includes all relevant information and forwarded through to our Maintenance team where the priority for completion will be allocated and a work order sent to the Contractor.
Where Compass has organised maintenance that is not considered the result of fair wear and tear, where the property has been damaged intentionally or through neglect by the tenant, or failure to allow access for repair, then costs will be passed on to the tenant.
Timeframes for Completion of Maintenance are set down in Compass Housing’s Policy and Procedures, and are as follows:
- Emergency - 4 hours
- Urgent - 24 hours
- Inspection Required - 7 days
- Routine - 21 days
For maintenance issues on all privately leased properties, please contact your Tenancy Relations Officer who will then either arrange to have the work carried out, or pass the request through to the owner or agent of the property for action. Please do not contact the agent or the owner directly for maintenance issues. Please advise your Tenancy Relations Officer of any serious problems or excessive delays you may be experiencing during maintenance work. Poor workmanship or poor customer service by contractors should also be reported.
Compass strives to maintain a standard of housing that ensures our tenants are comfortable in their homes, therefore, property maintenance is always high on the agenda.
Compass aims to provide prompt delivery of services via its team of qualified & licensed contractors to fix problems as they occur and to ensure regular planned maintenance or non–urgent work is carried out in line with the Compass maintenance policy.
Compass also undertakes a comprehensive scoping of its properties to identify problem areas that might arise, as well as looking at areas needing upgrading or replacement.
Compass' corporate mission is to manage housing stock according to best practice standards & each request will be treated as equally as the next one.
Should you need to call Compass Housing regarding a maintenance problem your request will be responded to as quickly as possible.
Compass will manage and cover the costs of repairs and maintenance if the damage has been determined to be due to fair wear and tear.
If you have caused damage to the property, Compass will advise you of your responsibilities in paying for the repairs. Your Tenancy Relations Officer Property will contact you to provide several options to rectify the damage:
- Organising the repairs (to a tradesperson standard); or
- Requesting Compass Housing arrange the repairs (this requires an upfront payment for the repairs).
Tenants of NRAS properties have the same rights and obligations as any tenant in the private rental market.
If a tenant believes that an issue requires repairs and maintenance due to fair wear and tear, they can contact Compass to request Compass to manage repairs and maintenance via:
Contacting us via phone or in person:
- Phone: 1300 333 733
- In person: 1/905 Stanley Street East East Brisbane QLD 4169
Office Hours: 9am - 4:30pm • Monday - Friday
Sending us an Email:
- Email: NRASQLD@compasshousing.org
Please ensure you include the following details in your request:
- Your name
- Your address & current telephone number
- A description of the problem
- Whether you have reported the problem before
- Photos of the damage
- When a tradesperson can access the property with you
You can report maintenance by calling 1300 333 733 or by using the online form HERE.
What happens once I lodge my request?
Compass will assess your request and contact you to discuss the repairs in further detail.
Compass Housing Services 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. Compass 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 following information is important to remember about our complaints system:
- Complaints can be lodged in person, over the phone or by email.
- Compass will acknowledge your complaint in writing as soon as practicable.
- You will receive a response within 15 working days of your complaint being lodged with the exception of complaints regarding a privacy issues where a response will be forwarded within 60 days.
- 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.
- Compass 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. There may include, making an application to the New South Wales Registrar of Community Housing, New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) or the QLD Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
- Obtain a copy of the Complaint Form from your local branch, Head Office or by downloading a copy HERE.
- 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 complimentsandcomplaints@compasshousing.org 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 (generally within 15 working days of receipt of the complaint) informing you of the outcome and explaining the reason(s) for any decision.
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 HERE
Compass takes all complaints about antisocial or disruptive behaviour seriously and will investigate each incident in a fair and reasonable manner. Compass 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.
Compass 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, Compass 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.
Compass 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.
Compass 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 Compass is responsible for. In some cases, Compass is not able to confirm that an incident has occurred.
Compass must also ensure we have provided the tenant with a reasonable chance to address their behaviour. Compass 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.
Important documents:
- Incident Diary - Download
- Managing Antisocial Behaviour - NSW Fact Sheet
- Managing Antisocial Behaviour - QLD Fact Sheet
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
If you are a Compass 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 Compass Housing Services 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 Compass if you require an interpreter.
- Your Appeal Request will be reviewed by management and then, if required, will be referred to the Compass 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, Compass 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.
- Compass 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, Compass will provide information on the other avenues available to you.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
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.business.qld.gov.au
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/contact_us
If you are already a Compass tenant, you may be eligible for a transfer to a different property.
Please note that tenants are only able to transfer within their same state.
NSW Tenants
You can apply to transfer to another property managed either by Compass, the Department of Communities and Justice, or another community housing provider. Compass may also need to initiate a transfer for tenancy or portfolio management reasons, which is known as a management transfer.
To discuss your eligibility for a transfer, please call 1300 333 733.
Queensland Tenants
Different eligibilty criteria applies to the various housing programs managed by the Compass Queensland team but, If you believe you are eligible for a transfer, and want to apply, you can contact our office on 1300 333 733 or email to adminqld@compasshousing.org
Compass may also need to initiate a transfer for tenancy or portfolio management reasons. This is known as a management transfer.
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
Compass is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal and sensitive information, collected, known and administered by us.
We will only ever collect personal information directly related to providing tenants with assistance and services.
Please also be assured that the tenant’s personal information (including documents containing personal information) will only be provided to a third-party with either their consent, or where we are required to by law.
- Compass Housing Services - Privacy Statement
For more information please refer to our Policies page HERE
In the event of an Emergency:
An emergency may include natural disasters; bushfires; severe weather events; flooding or unnatural disasters such as terrorism, large scale rioting. In any emergency situation Compass follows directions from the lead response agency and strongly advises all our tenants to do the same.
During an emergency it is important to keep up to date on what’s happening in your area. Your emergency broadcaster is ABC Local Radio or ABC News 24.
Go to your State Emergency Service and Fire Service websites for information on preparing your home for an emergency and emergency action plans.
Contacts NSW:
- Life Threatening Emergencies - Phone: 000 (Police, Ambulance, Fire)
- State Emergency Service (SES) - Phone: 132 500 www.ses.nsw.gov.au
- Rural Fire Service - www.rfs.nsw.gov.au
- Traffic Info - www.livetraffic.com
- RSPCA - www.rspcansw.org.au
Contacts QLD:
- Life Threatening Emergency - Phone: 000 (Police, Ambulance, Fire)
- State Emergency Service (SESS) - Phone: 132 500 www.emergency.qld.gov.au
- Rural Fire Service - www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au
- Traffic Info - Phone: 13 19 40 www.qld.gov.au/transport
- RSPCA - www.rspcaquld.org.au