Rent Assistance Calculator — Centrelink Rates From 20 September 2026
Commonwealth Rent Assistance pays 75 cents for every dollar of rent above a threshold, up to a maximum — $223.80 a fortnight for a single person, $263.06 for a family with 1 or 2 children. Enter your rent to see what you could get.
Rates from 20 September 2026 · verified 23 September 2026
How Much Rent Assistance Can You Get?
How it was worked out
What to check next
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- Fortnightly Pay CalculatorThe fortnightly tax calculator: tax and take-home every pay.
Rent Assistance Rates From 20 September 2026
Paid with an income support payment (no children)
| If you're | Rent must be more than | Maximum reached at rent of | Maximum Rent Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, no children | $157.80 | $456.20 | $223.80 |
| Single, no children, sharing accommodation | $157.80 | $356.74 | $149.20 |
| Couple, no children (combined) | $255.80 | $537.14 | $211.00 |
| Couple separated by illness, respite care or prison, no children | $157.80 | $456.20 | $223.80 |
| Couple temporarily separated, no children | $157.80 | $439.14 | $211.00 |
Paid with Family Tax Benefit Part A (families)
| If you're | Rent must be more than | Maximum reached at rent of | Maximum Rent Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, 1 or 2 children | $207.34 | $558.09 | $263.06 |
| Single, 3 or more children | $207.34 | $603.82 | $297.36 |
| Couple, 1 or 2 children | $306.60 | $657.35 | $263.06 |
| Couple, 3 or more children | $306.60 | $703.08 | $297.36 |
All figures per fortnight, as published by Services Australia. Indexed on 20 March and 20 September in line with CPI; the next change is 20 March 2027. Couples: combined rent and one combined amount. A couple separated by illness, respite care or prison, or temporarily separated, with children, uses the single family threshold.
Rent Assistance at Different Rents (Single, No Children)
| Weekly rent | Fortnightly rent | Rent Assistance a fortnight | Sharer rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | $300 | $106.65 | $106.65 |
| $200 | $400 | $181.65 | $149.20 |
| $250 | $500 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $300 | $600 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $350 | $700 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $400 | $800 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $450 | $900 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $500 | $1,000 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $600 | $1,200 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
| $700 | $1,400 | $223.80 | $149.20 |
From about $229 a week in rent, a single person gets the maximum and extra rent adds nothing.
Who Can Get Rent Assistance
- You get an eligible payment: JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, Parenting Payment (single or partnered), the Age Pension, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Farm Household Allowance, Special Benefit — or Family Tax Benefit Part A at more than the base rate. Special rules can apply if you're 25 or younger.
- You pay an eligible accommodation cost — rent, lodging, board and lodging, retirement village or over-55s village fees, or site or mooring fees — above the threshold for your situation.
- You don't need to apply: Services Australia checks when you claim your payment or update your address and accommodation details, and pays it with your regular payment.
How Extra Work Hours Affect Rent Assistance
Rent Assistance itself isn't tested against your wages; the payment it comes with is. Because it forms part of that payment, the same income test can reduce it once your earnings are high enough — and getting Rent Assistance raises the income at which your payment cuts out. For families, more hours can push family income past the point where FTB Part A drops to the base rate, and Rent Assistance stops there. Work through your fortnightly wages with the fortnightly pay calculator, then check the payment itself in the calculator for it.
Related Calculators and Guides
- Centrelink income test guide — how the free area, taper and cut-off work for every payment
- JobSeeker payment calculator — what you keep when you work part-time
- Parenting Payment calculator — single and partnered, with the 40c taper for single parents
- Family Tax Benefit calculator — FTB Part A and Part B on your family income
- Austudy and Youth Allowance calculator — the $539 free area and the 50c/60c bands
- Age Pension income test calculator — with the Work Bonus applied
- Take-home pay calculator — tax on your wages and payment together
- Fortnightly pay calculator — convert your wage to the fortnightly gross Centrelink asks for
How this calculator works▼
- Rent Assistance = the lesser of the maximum for your situation and 75c × (fortnightly rent − threshold), floored at $0.
- Weekly rent × 2 = fortnightly; monthly rent × 12 ÷ 26 = fortnightly.
- Thresholds and maximums are Services Australia's figures from 20 September 2026, read on 23 September 2026. Our tests rebuild each published “rent for the maximum” figure from them to within a cent.
- Pay Calculator Australia is not Services Australia — use their Payment Finder to estimate your full payment including Rent Assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rent Assistance questions and answers
How much is Rent Assistance?
From 20 September 2026, the maximum is $223.80 a fortnight for a single person with no children, $149.20 for a single person in shared accommodation, $211.00 for a couple with no children, and $263.06 for a family with 1 or 2 children ($297.36 with 3 or more).
How is Rent Assistance calculated?
You get 75 cents for every dollar of fortnightly rent above a threshold, up to a maximum. For a single person with no children the threshold is $157.80, so rent of $400 a fortnight gives $181.65; you reach the $223.80 maximum at $456.20 of rent.
What is the minimum rent for Rent Assistance?
Your fortnightly rent has to be more than $157.80 if you're single with no children, $255.80 for a couple with no children, $207.34 for a single parent and $306.60 for a couple with children.
Do I need to claim Rent Assistance separately?
No. Services Australia checks whether you can get Rent Assistance when you claim an eligible payment — such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, Parenting Payment, the Age Pension, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, or Family Tax Benefit Part A above the base rate — or update your address and accommodation details, and pays it with your regular payment.
What is the single sharer rate of Rent Assistance?
If you're single with no dependent children, live in shared private accommodation and get JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, the Age Pension, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Farm Household Allowance or Special Benefit, the maximum is $149.20 a fortnight instead of $223.80.
Does working more reduce Rent Assistance?
It can. Rent Assistance is part of the payment it's paid with, so the income test that reduces your JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment can reduce it too — though getting Rent Assistance also lifts the income at which that payment cuts out. For families, Rent Assistance is paid with FTB Part A only while you get more than the base rate, so a rise in family income can end it.
When do Rent Assistance rates change?
On 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index. The figures here apply from 20 September 2026; the next change is on 20 March 2027.
What if I pay board and lodging?
Services Australia counts only the lodging part as rent. If you can't say what you pay for lodging, they use two-thirds of the total board and lodging amount.
From 20 September 2026, the maximum is $223.80 a fortnight for a single person with no children, $149.20 for a single person in shared accommodation, $211.00 for a couple with no children, and $263.06 for a family with 1 or 2 children ($297.36 with 3 or more).
You get 75 cents for every dollar of fortnightly rent above a threshold, up to a maximum. For a single person with no children the threshold is $157.80, so rent of $400 a fortnight gives $181.65; you reach the $223.80 maximum at $456.20 of rent.
Your fortnightly rent has to be more than $157.80 if you're single with no children, $255.80 for a couple with no children, $207.34 for a single parent and $306.60 for a couple with children.
No. Services Australia checks whether you can get Rent Assistance when you claim an eligible payment — such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, Parenting Payment, the Age Pension, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, or Family Tax Benefit Part A above the base rate — or update your address and accommodation details, and pays it with your regular payment.
If you're single with no dependent children, live in shared private accommodation and get JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, the Age Pension, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Farm Household Allowance or Special Benefit, the maximum is $149.20 a fortnight instead of $223.80.
It can. Rent Assistance is part of the payment it's paid with, so the income test that reduces your JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment can reduce it too — though getting Rent Assistance also lifts the income at which that payment cuts out. For families, Rent Assistance is paid with FTB Part A only while you get more than the base rate, so a rise in family income can end it.
On 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index. The figures here apply from 20 September 2026; the next change is on 20 March 2027.
Services Australia counts only the lodging part as rent. If you can't say what you pay for lodging, they use two-thirds of the total board and lodging amount.
Sources & References
- 1How much Rent Assistance you can get— Services Australia
- 2Who can get Rent Assistance— Services Australia
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
Areas of Expertise
What to check next
People reading this page usually work these out too.
- Centrelink Income TestHow free areas, tapers and cut-offs reduce a payment.
- JobSeeker Payment CalculatorWhat you keep of JobSeeker when you work part-time.
- Austudy & Youth Allowance CalculatorThe student income test with current rates.
- Working Credit CalculatorHow unused free area banks up and shields future earnings.
- Parenting Payment CalculatorSingle and partnered income tests.
- Fortnightly Pay CalculatorThe fortnightly tax calculator: tax and take-home every pay.