Centrelink rent help · Calculator

Rent Assistance Calculator

Estimate the Rent Assistance component using current thresholds, including family, separated-couple, sharer and board-and-lodging rules.

Rates from 20 Mar 2026FTB familiesBoard & lodging
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
Single Maximum reached at $447.34 rent $154.80 → $219.40
Single sharer Maximum reached at $349.83 rent $154.80 → $146.27
Couple, combined Maximum reached at $526.54 rent $250.80 → $206.80
Separated due to illness, respite or prison Maximum reached at $447.34 rent $154.80 → $219.40
Temporarily separated couple Maximum reached at $430.54 rent $154.80 → $206.80

Rates effective 20 March 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 children Maximum reached at $547.12 rent $203.28 → $257.88
Single or separated family, 3+ children Maximum reached at $591.92 rent $203.28 → $291.48
Couple living together, 1–2 children Maximum reached at $644.42 rent $300.58 → $257.88
Couple living together, 3+ children Maximum reached at $689.22 rent $300.58 → $291.48

Rates effective 20 March 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 $154.80 threshold is multiplied by 75%.

$33.90 /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.

$146.27 /fortnight

Eligible rent used: $500.00/fn

$600 board and lodging

With no itemised lodging amount, two-thirds ($400) is used as eligible rent.

$183.90 /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.

Related guides

Family Tax Benefit Rates 2026-27: Part A & Part B ExplainedThe current FTB Part A and Part B maximum and base rates, the $69,131 free area, the $123,078 higher threshold, and how the two income tests taper your payment.Family Tax Benefit Supplements 2026: The $80,000 Threshold & End-of-Year Top-UpHow the FTB Part A ($970.90/child) and Part B ($478.15/family) supplements work — the $80,000 income cliff, the balancing-time payout, and the immunisation gate.Family Tax Benefit Income Tests & Supplements (2026-27)FTB Part A and Part B income tests for 2026-27 — the $69,131 free area, the $124,327 Part B limit, both supplements, and a worked taper example.

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Family Tax Benefit Calculator Estimate FTB Part A & B payments based on income and family size Youth Allowance Calculator Student/apprentice YA with parental test and Income Bank Parenting Payment Calculator PPS and PPP with means tests and deeming Carer Payment & Carer Allowance Calculator CP pension-style means test plus flat $162.60/fn CA (under $250k cap) JobSeeker / YA Calculator Centrelink JobSeeker and Youth Allowance (job seeker) estimate Age Pension Calculator Normal-rate means test with deeming and per-person Work Bonus

Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: 18 July 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27

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.