Moving out of your home

You must tell Homes NSW if you are moving out of your home.

If you are on a fixed-term agreement (a lease with a start date and an end date) you must give us at least 14 days notice.

If you are on a continuous agreement (a lease with a start date but no end date) you must give us at least 21 days notice.

How to us tell us you are moving out

You can:

• complete a Tenancy Online form,  or a Notice to Vacate Form
• tell us in person at your local Homes NSW Housing Services office
• telephone your local Homes NSW Housing Services office
• write to us.

What happens before I move out?

When we receive your advice, we will write to you to confirm:

• the date you are moving out
• any money you owe for rent, water usage, repairs and other charges
• your responsibilities when moving out.

We will arrange a date and time with you to conduct an inspection of your property before you leave

We will use the Property Condition Report, which you signed at the start of your tenancy when assessing the condition of your property. When you move out you should leave your property in a similar condition to when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear.

If you change your mind about moving out of your property, please tell us immediately. We will write to you confirming that you no longer wish to move out.

What happens after I move out?

After you move out of the property, we will conduct another inspection to check on the condition of the property. If possible, you should also attend this inspection. If we identify any damage, we will charge you for the cost of the repairs.

We will also assess your former tenancy and assign a former tenant category. For some former tenants there are a number of conditions which must be met before we approve any further application for social housing assistance.

Former tenant categories

There are five categories:

• eligible for a Statement of Satisfactory Tenancy
• satisfactory
• less than satisfactory
• unsatisfactory
• ineligible.

Another member of your household may be given a less than satisfactory category due to antisocial behaviour.

All categories can be appealed and there is no time limit to do this. If your appeal is successful, your former tenant or occupant category will be changed. See the section below What if I disagree with DCJ' decision.

Eligible for a Statement of Satisfactory Tenancy

This means that:

• apart from minor matters, you have not breached your tenancy agreement for the 12 months prior to Homes NSW receiving your application for a tenancy statement, and
• there is no money owing on any of your Homes NSW accounts when we assess your eligibility for a tenancy statement and, in respect of those accounts, you had a satisfactory payment performance in the 12 months before the assessment.

Satisfactory

This means you chose to leave the property and you:

• did not breach your former tenancy agreement, or
• owe less than $500 in rent, water usage, repairs and other charges; or
• had no more than two Strike Notices for antisocial behaviour issued within the last two years of your tenancy.

Less than satisfactory

This means when you left the property you:

• owed more than $500; or
• abandoned the property; or
• had substantiated complaints of minor and moderate or serious antisocial behaviour; or
• left the property in an unsatisfactory condition.

Unsatisfactory

This means you:

• were evicted from your tenancy due to antisocial behaviour or other breach of your tenancy agreement; or
• vacated before an Order of Possession to evict you was enforced due to antisocial behaviour or other breach of your tenancy agreement; or
• vacated before an Order of Possession was obtained and had substantiated complaints of minor and moderate or serious antisocial behaviour; or
• were previously categorised as Less than Satisfactory on more than one occasion.

Ineligible

This means you had an extreme breach of your tenancy agreement and you:

• were evicted; or
• vacated before an Order of Possession to evict you was enforced; or
• vacated before an Order of Possession was obtained.

An extreme breach may include:

• proven arson or destruction of Homes NSW property
• using the premises for illegal activities
• violence or serious threats to staff or neighbours
• any other breaches involving severe illegal antisocial behaviour.

What does my former tenant category mean if I reapply for social housing assistance?

If you owe money to Homes NSW you are required to repay the amount, regardless of your category.

Eligible for a Statement of Satisfactory Tenancy

There are no conditions related to this category but you can apply for a reference from Homes NSW to assist you with obtaining alternative accommodation. For more information, see the fact sheet Statement of Satisfactory Tenancy available on our website.

Satisfactory

There are no conditions related to this category. However, if you owe money to Homes NSW you will be required to repay the amount.

Less than satisfactory

If you owe more than $500 any future application for social housing will be suspended for 6 months. During this time, you must make regular repayments to reduce your debt. You will not be offered social housing unless you make regular payments.

Unsatisfactory

You will not be eligible for social housing until you have shown that you can sustain a tenancy for at least six months. This could include renting in a boarding house, transitional housing or a private tenancy.

Ineligible

You will not be eligible for social housing assistance.

What if I disagree with Homes NSW’ decision?

If you believe we made the wrong decision, you should first discuss your concerns with a client service officer. You can also ask to have the decision reviewed. To do this, fill in the review of decisions form available online or at your local Homes NSW Housing Services office.

What type and length of lease are former tenants entitled to?

[*] In most cases, clients who are assessed as eligible for a 5 or 10 year lease are required to enter into a fixed term 12 month probationary lease.