Paying rent and arrears

As a tenant of Mission Australia Housing (MAH), it is important to pay your rent and other housing charges like water, parking, or repairs regularly and on time. This helps you maintain your tenancy and avoid unnecessary stress.

MAH relies on rental payments to continue providing housing services to you and others in the community. When everyone pays on time, it helps keep things running smoothly for everyone.

Your lease agreement says rent is due every two weeks and should be paid in advance. This means your payment covers the upcoming rental period. As each day passes, your rent balance decreases. When it reaches zero, your next payment is due.

While tenants are not required to maintain a constant two-week credit balance, it’s important to ensure you’re not in arrears. Paying on time ensures you’re not in arrears and helps protect your tenancy

Pick the option that works best for you:

Centrepay

• Set up automatic payments from your Centrelink account through myGov or your
  local Centrelink office. If you'd like us to set up Centrepay payments on your behalf, just give us consent. Contact us on 1800 269 672 or visit your local office to arrange this.

Internet Banking

• Set up an automatic direct deposit using your agreement number as the reference.

In Person

• You can pay by EFTPOS at some Mission Australia Housing offices call to confirm. Unsure of your tenant ID or account number? Just call us.

Westpac ATM

• Use the ATM to deposit cheques or cash directly into your rent account. Go inside and speak to bank staff if you need help.

What happens if you fall behind in your rent? We understand that life doesn’t always go to plan, and sometimes payments can fall behind. If that happens, here’s what to expect and why it’s important to get in touch early:

1–6 days in arrears
You’ll receive a friendly reminder by phone, text, or email to check in.

7–13 days in arrears
If the payment hasn’t been made, we’ll follow up again and send you a letter explaining that your account is overdue. This is considered a breach of your tenancy agreement, and we’ll ask you to make a payment to catch up.

14+ days in arrears
If your account is still overdue, you may receive a formal notice to end your tenancy. This means your tenancy could be at risk if the arrears aren’t resolved.

The earlier you contact us, the more options we have to support you and help avoid further action.

We want to help you stay on track. You can:

• Set up a payment plan that works for you.
• Ask us about referrals to financial counselling or other local support services.

If you’re unhappy with our service you can lodge a complaint. See our Appeals and Complaints Fact Sheet.  

See our Arrears Management Policy for more information.