Estimate the Rent Assistance component using current thresholds, including family, separated-couple, sharer and board-and-lodging rules.
01 —INPUTS
Rent Assistance is an add-on to an eligible payment, not a standalone payment.
02 —RESULTS
Awaiting input
Complete each applicable choice and enter your accommodation cost
Eligibility boundary
An eligible payment and an eligible housing cost are both required
Potentially eligible
Private rent, lodging, board and lodging, certain retirement-village fees, and site or mooring fees while receiving an eligible income-support payment or FTB Part A above the base rate.
Not estimated as eligible
Mortgage repayments, and rent paid to a state or territory housing authority. Residence, temporary-absence and special young-person rules still require Services Australia assessment.
Income-support rates
Fortnightly threshold to maximum Rent Assistance
Situation
Threshold → maximum
SingleMaximum reached at $456.20 rent
$157.80 → $223.80
Single sharerMaximum reached at $356.74 rent
$157.80 → $149.20
Couple, combinedMaximum reached at $537.14 rent
$255.80 → $211.00
Separated due to illness, respite or prisonMaximum reached at $456.20 rent
$157.80 → $223.80
Temporarily separated coupleMaximum reached at $439.14 rent
$157.80 → $211.00
Rates effective 20 September 2026. Couple figures are combined. The maximum-rate rent ceiling is the eligible fortnightly rent at which the cap is reached.
FTB family rates
Separated families use the single-family threshold
Family situation
Threshold → maximum
Single or separated family, 1–2 childrenMaximum reached at $558.09 rent
$207.34 → $263.06
Single or separated family, 3+ childrenMaximum reached at $603.82 rent
$207.34 → $297.36
Couple living together, 1–2 childrenMaximum reached at $657.35 rent
$306.60 → $263.06
Couple living together, 3+ childrenMaximum reached at $703.08 rent
$306.60 → $297.36
Rates effective 20 September 2026. These rates apply when Rent Assistance is paid with FTB Part A above the base rate.
Board and lodging
Meals are removed before the Rent Assistance formula
Lodging shown separatelyUse the actual lodging amount and exclude the board or meals component.
One combined amountUse two-thirds of the total board-and-lodging payment as eligible rent.
Sharing the accommodationDo not use the lower single-sharer rate for board and lodging.
Frequency conversionWeekly amounts are doubled; monthly amounts are multiplied by 12 and divided by 26.
Worked examples
Examples generated by the calculator engine
Single, $200 rent per fortnight
Rent above the $157.80 threshold is multiplied by 75%.
$31.65 /fortnight
Eligible rent used: $200.00/fn
Single sharer, $500 per fortnight
An Age Pension recipient sharing private accommodation reaches the lower single-sharer maximum.
$149.20 /fortnight
Eligible rent used: $500.00/fn
$600 board and lodging
With no itemised lodging amount, two-thirds ($400) is used as eligible rent.
$181.65 /fortnight
Eligible rent used: $400.00/fn
FAQ
How is Rent Assistance calculated?
Services Australia pays 75 cents for every $1 of eligible fortnightly rent above the applicable threshold, up to the maximum rate. The maximum is reached at the published rent ceiling.
Who can get Rent Assistance?
You need an eligible payment such as Age Pension, Austudy, Carer Payment, DSP, JobSeeker, Parenting Payment or Youth Allowance, or Family Tax Benefit Part A above the base rate. Your eligible accommodation cost must also be above the relevant threshold.
Does public housing rent qualify?
Rent paid to a state or territory housing authority does not normally qualify. Private rent, lodging, some retirement-village fees and site or mooring fees can qualify. Mortgage repayments are not rent.
How does board and lodging affect the estimate?
Only the lodging component is eligible. If your provider does not show lodging separately, Services Australia normally treats two-thirds of the total board-and-lodging amount as rent. The single-sharer rate does not apply to board and lodging.
Does every person sharing accommodation use the single-sharer rate?
No. It applies only to a single person without dependent children who shares private accommodation and receives one of the specified payments. It does not apply to Carer Payment, DSP or Parenting Payment recipients, and it does not apply to board and lodging.
Which family threshold applies to a separated couple?
For the Family Tax Benefit pathway, a couple separated due to illness, respite or prison, and a temporarily separated couple, use the single-family rent threshold. A couple living together uses the couple-family threshold.
Why does the calculator ask younger people to confirm special rules?
ABSTUDY, DSP, JobSeeker and Youth Allowance have payment-specific age, independence and living-arrangement rules. The calculator can show the rate mathematics, but Services Australia must decide whether those rules are met.
Can the final payment be lower than this estimate?
Yes. Rent Assistance is part of the underlying income-support or family payment. The income and assets tests on that payment can reduce the combined amount, and residence, temporary absence and other eligibility rules can also matter.
This calculator estimates the Rent Assistance component using published thresholds, ceilings and maximums. It does not decide residence, eligible-payment qualification, public-housing exceptions, young-person special rules, temporary absence, FTB above-base qualification or the income and assets tests on the underlying payment.
