Steps to apply

1. If you are an existing NSW Department of Education staff member you can apply for teacher housing via the Teacher and Police Housing Portal. Sign using your departmental email address.
   
   Note: If it is your first time accessing the portal you will need to register. To do this, click ‘Not a member’ and fill in your details. You will need your departmental email address and employee ID (role number) to set up access.
   
2. Once you have logged into the portal you will be able to search properties by location.
   
3. Complete an online application – this only takes a few minutes. You will be asked to provide a copy of your employment contract before an application will progress to an offer of accommodation.
   
4. Submit your application online through the portal. Applications generally take 2 business days to process if all information is supplied correctly. Please note that during peak periods, such as before the beginning of the school year, wait times may be longer.
   
   Please note: Teacher housing properties are in high demand in some locations. We recommend getting your application in as soon as possible to give you the best chance of securing a property.

New Employees

If you are new to the department and do not yet have an employee ID or email address you will not be able to access the portal. Contact the Teacher and Police Housing team on 1300 137 343 for further assistance in this instance.

Receiving an offer

Once your application has been assessed, if a suitable property is available, a Teacher Housing Authority (THA) tenancy officer will contact you via phone to discuss your application and ensure that the accommodation to be allocated meets your needs.

You will then receive a verbal offer of accommodation and can discuss the commencement of your tenancy. Written confirmation will be issued by email to you shortly thereafter (usually the same day).

The offer of accommodation will include the following:

• Commencement date of your tenancy
• Property address
• Weekly market rent (excluding any rental subsidy)
• Bond payable
• Information about your responsibilities as a tenant
• Name and address of the managing agent (to arrange collection of keys).

Once a written offer has been received, you will have 48 hours to accept the offer and return the relevant paperwork. If you do not accept an offer within the specified timeframe, the allocation will be withdrawn and the property may be offered to another applicant.

Entering into a lease

Once you have accepted and returned the formal offer of accommodation, a residential tenancy agreement will be created and provided to the local managing agent for you to sign. The local managing agent is usually a real estate agent located in the town or nearby who has been employed by the THA to manage the property. You will be required to sign your residential tenancy agreement upon collection of the property keys.

Collecting keys

We suggest contacting the agent prior to your arrival to discuss the collection of keys. Managing agents may not be open on weekends. If you will be arriving in town after hours or on a weekend you may need to wait until the next business day to collect keys.