Rent Assistance Calculator
Rates From 20 September 2026
Work out how much Commonwealth Rent Assistance you can get on top of your Centrelink payment or Family Tax Benefit, from your rent and family situation.
Read the full answer — method, rates and figures
Quick answer: From 20 September 2026, Rent Assistance pays 75 cents for every dollar of fortnightly rent above a minimum, up to a maximum. A single person with no children gets nothing until rent passes $157.80 a fortnight and reaches the maximum of $223.80 a fortnight at $456.20; a single person paying $400 a week ($800 a fortnight) gets $223.80.
A couple with one or two children paying $500 a week gets $263.06 a fortnight. It is paid only on top of an income support payment such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or the Age Pension, or with Family Tax Benefit Part A.
Rates index every 20 March and 20 September. Source: Services Australia, checked 25 September 2026.
How much Rent Assistance can I get?
75c for every dollar of rent above your threshold, up to the maximum. Single, paying $400 a week: $223.80 a fortnight.
Rent Assistance / fortnight
$223.80
Per year
$5,819
Rent threshold
$157.80
Maximum
$223.80
Your rent of $800.00 a fortnight is above $456.20, so you get the maximum $223.80 a fortnight — about $5,819 a year.
Save your Rent Assistance estimate
Track your payments, rent and savings in one place, and see them change at each indexation.
Per fortnight
$223.80
Per year
$5,819
Rent threshold
$157.80
Maximum
$223.80
Weighing up renting against buying? The rent vs buy calculator runs the numbers. Families with children in care can also check the Child Care Subsidy calculator, and retirees the Age Pension calculator — the ASFA Retirement Standard publishes separate, higher budgets for retirees who rent, because rent is the cost the home-owner budgets leave out. Carers and people on the Disability Support Pension who rent get Rent Assistance on top of their pension; the Carer Payment and DSP calculator estimates the pension itself. Families can check the Part A amount Rent Assistance is added to with the Family Tax Benefit calculator.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 by the Richify AI agent team.
Reviewed by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one.
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Your rent is converted to a fortnightly amount (weekly × 2, monthly × 12 ÷ 26). Rent Assistance is 75% of the rent above your threshold, capped at your maximum. The thresholds and maximums are Services Australia's rates from 20 September 2026, checked 25 September 2026.
The calculator does not check your eligibility for the underlying payment, and some situations (board and lodging, couples separated by illness or respite care, retirement villages) have their own rules.
Rent Assistance rates from 20 September 2026 (per fortnight)
| You are | Rent above | Max from rent of | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, no children | $157.80 | $456.20 | $223.80 |
| Single, sharing accommodation | $157.80 | $356.74 | $149.20 |
| Couple, no children (combined) | $255.80 | $537.14 | $211.00 |
| 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 |
With income support payments or ABSTUDY (no children) and with Family Tax Benefit Part A (with children).
How to use this calculator
- Choose your family situation.
- Enter your rent and whether it is weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
- Read your fortnightly Rent Assistance, the threshold and the rent at which you reach the maximum.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much Rent Assistance will I get?
75 cents for every dollar of fortnightly rent above your threshold, up to your maximum. For a single person with no children that is nothing below $157.80 a fortnight, rising to $223.80 a fortnight once rent reaches $456.20.
The calculator shows the threshold, the maximum and your amount for each family situation.
Who can get Rent Assistance?
You must pay rent (or site, mooring or board and lodging fees) and get an eligible payment from Services Australia — an income support payment such as JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension or Carer Payment, ABSTUDY, or Family Tax Benefit Part A at more than the base rate. People in public housing (paying rent to a state or territory housing authority) cannot get it.
What is the maximum Rent Assistance?
From 20 September 2026, per fortnight: single $223.80; single sharer $149.20; couple (combined) $211.00; with 1 or 2 children $263.06; with 3 or more children $297.36. With children it is usually paid with Family Tax Benefit Part A.
What is the single sharer rate?
A lower maximum ($149.20 a fortnight) for a single person with no children living in shared private accommodation and getting certain payments such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY or the Age Pension. The threshold is the same $157.80, so it reaches its maximum sooner, at $356.74 of rent.
When do Rent Assistance rates change?
On 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index. Your payment also changes if your rent, income, payments or family circumstances change, which you must report.
If you pay board and lodging and can't say how much is for lodging, Services Australia counts two thirds of the total as rent.
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