When lodging an application through the Teacher and Police Housing Portal, teachers will be able to provide some information about their requirements, including the number of bedrooms required. If multiple properties are available in the area, they may be given a choice, however depending on the location this may not be the case. Teachers can request a specific property, however there is no guarantee they will be allocated that property.

Most teacher housing properties are tenanted. It may be possible to arrange an inspection if the property is vacant.

The date a teacher can move into their property will depend on when the property is vacated by the previous tenant.

However please be aware that if a teacher moves into a teacher housing property more than a week before their appointment starts (or more than 2 weeks at the beginning of the year), any rental subsidies they are eligible for will only be applied from the week (or 2 weeks where applicable) before their appointment commences. The teacher will need to pay market rent up until that time.

Unit accommodation is partially furnished. Houses are rented unfurnished.

Yes, teachers will be required to sign a Residential Tenancy Agreement (lease agreement) to rent a teacher housing property.

The agreement contains Terms and Conditions, a Premises Condition Report (PCR) and a Furniture Inventory Report (applicable to some properties).

Visit the Tenant handbook for more information about Residential Tenancy Agreements.

Teachers using teacher housing will be required to pay a rental bond equivalent to 4 weeks of the market rent (i.e. before any rental subsidies are applied).

The bond must be paid in a lump sum when the accommodation offer is accepted. At the end of the tenancy, the bond will be returned to the tenant within 30 days provided there is no tenant charge for unpaid rent, cleaning or remedial work.

Visit the Tenant handbook for more information on payment of the bond.

The rent charged is based on market values in the location that the teacher is renting, as recommended by an independent registered property valuer.

The amount of rent the teacher pays will depend on whether they are eligible for a rental subsidy based on their school.

Rents are reviewed annually. Where an increase in the rent occurs, tenants will be given 60 days written notice.

For permanent or temporary teachers, 2 weeks rent will be deducted automatically from their salary every fortnight. The department will arrange for deductions to start as soon as possible after the teacher moves in.

On the Thursday when the teacher gets paid, they will be charged 14 days rent from a Monday to a Sunday. On payday, the rent will be paid 3 days in advance.

When moving into or vacating a property, teachers may be charged more or less than 14 days rent on a pro-rata basis. At the beginning of a tenancy, tenants will be charged for days owing from their move in date to the end of the payroll deduction period. At the end of a tenancy, tenants will be charged for days owing from the beginning of the payroll deduction period to their vacate date.

Casual, temporary or permanent teachers who are on unpaid leave must arrange to pay rent directly to the Teacher Housing Authority. A preferred payment method can be discussed with the tenancy services officer when an offer is received.

Visit the Tenant handbook for more information on rent payments.

Yes, school counsellors and psychologists are eligible for teacher housing. Refer to the Housing and Eligibility Allocation Policy for further information on eligibility and allocation of teacher housing.

In some circumstances a dwelling may be offered as a restricted tenancy. This means the dwelling may need to be vacated at the request of the THA. This could be the case, for example, where a single teacher is occupying a dwelling with 3 or more bedrooms; a teacher is occupying a dwelling in a town other than the one they work in, or the dwelling is occupied by a casual teacher or someone in a casual non-school based teaching position (NSBTS).

The rental subsidy is an incentive available to teachers working in an 8-point, 6-point or 4-point incentive school. The value of the subsidy is paid as a percent of the THA rent at the following rates:

• 90% for teachers at 8-point schools

• 70% for teachers at 6-point schools

• 50% for teachers in 4-point incentive schools.

Visit benefits and incentives for further information on the incentives available to staff working in rural areas.

Teachers working in an 8-point, 6-point or 4-point incentive school, who are either living in THA accommodation or who are eligible for THA accommodation but have been unsuccessful in obtaining accommodation and are renting privately, are eligible for a rental subsidy.

Refer to the Rental Subsidy Procedure (staff only) for further information around eligibility for the subsidy.

Visit benefits and incentives for further information on incentives including the rental subsidy. The benefits calculator can also assist with identifying the benefits and incentives applicable to specific schools.

The rental subsidy is part of the Rural Teacher Incentive - it is not an additional payment. Therefore, if teachers are eligible for a rental subsidy, this amount will be deducted from the total benefit they receive.

The following example explains this in more detail:

Say a teacher is eligible for a $20,000 annual Rural Teacher Incentive (paid quarterly) and a 70% rental subsidy, and they are renting a property with a market value of $300/week.

The incentive amount they will be paid each quarter is $5,000 less the $2,730, which has been paid out as a rental subsidy during the quarter (13 weeks x $300 x 70%). Therefore, their quarterly Rural Teacher Incentive lump sum payment will be $2,270.

The rental subsidy is deducted from the total Rural Teacher Incentive to ensure the incentive remains equitable for all staff in the same school, including those who do not rent. This process came into effect in 2019 when the Rural Teacher Incentive was introduced.

The following example explains this in more detail:

Say 2 teachers are teaching at the same school and are both earning a base salary of $100,000 per year. They are both eligible for a $20,000 Rural Teacher Incentive.

The first, Jane, owns her own home so receives no rental subsidy. She receives her $100,000 base salary + $20,000 Rural Teacher Incentive, making the value of her earnings $120,000 per year.

The second, Mary, lives in teacher housing and receives $8,000 in rental subsidy each year. This is deducted from her $20,000 Rural Teacher Incentive. As a result, Mary receives her $100,000 base salary + $8,000 in rental subsidy + $12,000 Rural Teacher Incentive (the remaining portion), making the value of her earnings $120,000 as well.

Deducting the subsidy from the total incentive ensures teachers who buy their own home or have other living arrangements are not disadvantaged.

If the rental subsidy was added on top of Mary's $20,000 incentive, the value of her earnings would be $128,000, meaning the value of her earnings would be more than that of Jane.

The rental subsidy is deducted from a teacher’s salary before tax, reducing taxable income. It is also paid fortnightly, so a teacher doesn't have to wait until the end of the quarter to receive the benefit.

If a teacher is eligible for the rental subsidy but unsuccessful in securing housing through the THA, they can apply for the rental subsidy on rent paid to a private landlord. The subsidy on private rentals is usually capped to match THA rental rates for the town, however properties are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

To be eligible for a private rental subsidy, the teacher must first have applied to the THA for housing and received a written response stating they are unable to house them.

In this circumstance, complete the Private subsidy application form and return it to EDConnect.

Teachers should be aware that payment of the private rental subsidy works slightly differently to the THA subsidy. For private rentals, it is required to pay the full rent to the real estate agent and the teacher will then receive the subsidy portion back in their pay as a reimbursement through an allowance.

If multiple teachers are sharing a property, the rent and subsidy is apportioned between each tenant. For example, 2 people sharing would each be charged 50% of the rental cost and paid 50% of the rental subsidy; 3 people sharing would each be charged 33% of the rent and be paid 33% of the subsidy.

The Teacher Housing Authority is required to charge full market rent on its housing portfolio. The NSW Valuer General completes a rental review for properties owned or managed by Teacher Housing Authority each year.

This means the rent a teacher is charged may increase during the time of their tenancy. Rent can only be changed once per year. If your rent increases, the tenant will be given 60 days written notice, as per the Residential Tenancies Act 2010.

Yes, the teacher will need to organise utilities such as electricity, gas and internet, and they will be responsible for payment as the account holder.

Information on what to do if the property requires repairs or maintenance is available to tenants on the repairs and maintenance intranet page (staff only).