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Rent Allowance

Rent Allowance subsidises the cost of renting a property in the private rental market. If you are approved for Rent Allowance you will need to find a suitable property for which you will be responsible for paying the rent to the landlord or agent.

The steps below are designed to explain Rent Allowance entitlements, the administrative processes that support Rent Allowance and your responsibilities as a recipient of Rent Allowance. You should not sign any leasing documentation for a rental residence until you have read the guidelines which are outlined in more detail in the Rent Allowance Guide.

The Rent Allowance provisions described in this guide are specified in the Defence Pay and Conditions Manual (PACMAN), Chapter 7.

For enquiries regarding your entitlements, please contact your local Defence Housing Australia (DHA) Housing Management Centre (HMC).

Step 1: Check your Rent Allowance entitlement with DHA

Rent Allowance is dependent on your categorisation and the reason for the Rent Allowance approval.

Full Rent Allowance applies to:

1. MWD(U) and MWOD where no LIA is available
2. MWD(U) and MWOD with at least five years aggregate continuous full time service (including any foreign military service for lateral recruits), even if LIA is available, and
3. MWD(U) and MWOD where rank is SGT(E) or higher, non-commissioned officer rank or MAJ(E) and above, even if LIA is available.

NOTE: Members qualifying under categories b and c are not entitled to an increase in their rent ceiling.

Partial Rent Allowance applies to:

• MWOD and MWD(U) if they do not qualify under a, b or c above and if only levels 1, 2 or 3 LIA are available.
  Note: Members qualifying under this provision are not entitled to an increase in their rent ceiling.
• a change to the availability or level of LIA during your tenancy doesn’t change your Partial Rent Allowance entitlement.

MWD Rent Allowance can be approved by DHA when

• a suitable Service Residence is unavailable
• change of categorisation and remaining in the same approved MWOD Rent Allowance property – see below for further information.

NOTE: You may have no entitlement to Rent Allowance if you own your own home in your posting location or levels 4 or 5 LIA are available. Availability of LIA varies between Defence bases and in many areas is limited.