FAQ

We charge rent to cover the cost of repairing your home when things go wrong or wear out, to meet the cost of managing our services to you and to invest in your home in the long term such as new windows, roof and kitchen when needed.

We work out the Rent using a percentage of the Assessable Income, plus any CRA the household members would be eligible for.  The most rent we charge for a property is the Market Rent. Utilities are added onto the Rent to make up the total cost of a property. Foundation Housing is governed by the Housing Authority’s Community Housing Rent Setting Policy and the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA).There is more information about rents here.

We will complete property inspections at the following stages of a tenancy,
• when a new Tenant moves in or out of a property
• during our settling in visit, six weeks after a Tenant moves in
• annually to complete a safety inspection
• routine inspections (up to four per year)
• unsatisfactory property follow up.

You may be eligible to receive food vouchers if the only source of income in your household is one of the following; Centrelink Pensions: Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance, Austudy, Abstudy, Special Benefit, or Widow Allowance.
If you are eligible to join our voucher program, you will receive a letter with your rent review that explains the process. Every three months we will download a Centrelink statement for you to see if you can still get vouchers. We will only send vouchers if we can confirm that your income means you are still eligible to receive them.

We are responsible for ensuring your property is free from vermin and pests when you first move in. Generally after moving in, it is the tenant’s responsibility. Please contact our Property Services team to discuss your situation on 1300 895 205.

We understand that pets are important to people and seek to enable our tenants to have pets wherever possible. However, we also recognise that pets can cause issues for neighbours, particularly in complexes where people are living in close proximity. If you are thinking about getting a pet please contact your Housing Coordinator. A pet bond of $260 will be charged.

Contact your Housing Coordinator if you are going to be away for more than four weeks. Please note that your benefits may be affected if you are leaving the country for longer periods of time.

Foundation Housing currently do not offer the option of purchasing our properties due to the limited availability of this type of housing in Western Australia.

We recognise that tenants’ housing needs can change over time, and we aim to help move existing tenants within our housing stock to make the best use of our available properties and to meet those changing needs. Please refer to our transfer policy.

Under the terms of the Residential Tenancies Act, tenants must give 21 days written notice. If you are looking to move out, please contact your Housing Coordinator who will give you all the information necessary to arrange this.