Rent is charged every Saturday. You’re responsible for paying rent at least one week in advance. SA Housing Trust tells you if your rent changes.

Unpaid rent becomes a debt you owe to SA Housing Trust.

For public and Aboriginal housing, you will pay either market rent or subsidised rent:

  • Market rent is the maximum amount of rent you can be charged. It’s based on the state valuer-general’s assessment of the property you rent and takes into account its size, nature and location.
  • Subsidised rent is based on your household’s total assessable income before tax. If you’re eligible for subsidised rent, your rent is no more than 30% of your household’s total assessable income before tax.

Rent reviews

Market rents are reviewed once a year. Subsidised rents are reviewed twice a year or whenever the people in your household or your household income changes.

Apply for subsidised rent

You might need to provide proof of your household’s income.

Caring arrangements

If a carer is living with you and providing you with constant care (and they're not your partner), their income isn’t included when calculating rent.

You need to provide proof of the caring arrangement. You can provide either:

  • a letter from a health professional stating who’s providing care, who’s receiving care, and confirming the constant care
  • a letter from Centrelink confirming the caring arrangement.

Moderate household incomes

    Rent if you have a moderate household income is 30% of your total assessable household income before tax.

    Types of income that are assessed

    You have a moderate household income if both these apply:

    • your total assessable household income before tax is equal to or more than the moderate rent limits
    • you or your partner don’t receive an income support payment from Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs, for example JobSeeker, Disability Support Pension, Age Pension.

    Moderate rent limits

    Subsidised rent - 25% of your total assessable household income before tax if your income is less than the moderate rent limits.


    Related information

    On this site

    Having difficulty paying a SA Housing Trust account

    Other websites


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    Page last updated 2 October 2024

    Provided by:
    South Australian Housing Trust
    URL:
    https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting/public-housing/tenants/rent-water-and-other-charges/rent-in-public-housing
    Last Updated:
    02/10/24
    Printed on:
    09/06/26
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    SA.GOV.AU is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence. © Copyright 2026
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