Commonwealth Rent Assistance 2026: Current Rates and How Payments Are Calculated

CRA is paid as a co-payment: once your rent goes above a minimum threshold, you receive 75 cents for every dollar of rent you pay above that threshold, up to a maximum fortnightly amount. Both the minimum threshold and the maximum payment vary depending on your household type — whether you're single, partnered, sharing accommodation, or have dependent children.

You won't get any CRA at all if your rent is below the minimum threshold for your situation, and you won't get more than the maximum payment no matter how high your rent is above the point where the maximum kicks in.

If you're sharing accommodation, you don't get the single sharer rate automatically — Services Australia calculates a different rate based on your specific circumstances. If you can't provide details of exactly what you pay for board and lodging, Services Australia will use two-thirds of your total board and lodging payment as your assessed rent figure.

CRA maximum rates are indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in March and September each year, alongside other Centrelink payments. From 20 September 2026, several maximum rates increase:

If your rent is already at or above the level needed for the maximum payment, this increase should apply to your payment automatically without you needing to do anything — Centrelink applies indexation increases to existing recipients as part of the standard payment run.

The most common reason renters receive a lower CRA payment than they expect is that Services Australia is still calculating their payment based on an old, lower rent figure. If your rent has increased since you last updated your details, your CRA payment won't reflect the increase until you report the new rent amount. Given that rent increases have been a persistent pressure through 2025–2026, it's worth checking your current CRA payment against the tables above and updating your rent details if they're out of date.

CRA is a supplement, not a standalone rental subsidy. It's only payable to people already receiving a qualifying income support payment, ABSTUDY, or Family Tax Benefit Part A — it is not available to renters who aren't receiving one of those payments, regardless of how much rent stress they're under. It's also not linked to your landlord, your lease type, or your state's rental laws; it applies the same way whether you're in a share house, a private rental, or a rooming house, as long as you meet the underlying payment eligibility.

Tenant advocacy groups, including the Tenants' Union, have publicly argued that current CRA maximum rates should be increased by around 30% and indexed more closely to actual rental price movements, rather than general CPI. This is a policy position being advocated for, not a change that has been implemented — the rates and indexation method described above remain the current operative rules as of September 2026. If you're relying on CRA as part of your budget, it's worth checking for updates around each March and September indexation date, since the amount can move even if your rent doesn't.

1. Confirm which household category applies to you using the tables above.
2. Check your current CRA payment against the maximum for your category — if your rent is well above the threshold for the maximum payment and you're receiving less, your recorded rent figure with Services Australia may be out of date.
3. Update your rent details through your myGov account linked to Centrelink if anything has changed.
4. Recheck your payment after each indexation date (20 March and 20 September) to confirm the new rate has been applied.

Do I need to reapply for Rent Assistance every time my rent changes? You don't need to submit a new application, but you do need to report the updated rent amount to Services Australia so your payment can be recalculated.

Can I get Commonwealth Rent Assistance if I'm not on Centrelink at all? No. CRA is paid as a supplement to a qualifying income support payment, ABSTUDY, or Family Tax Benefit Part A — it isn't a standalone payment available to all renters.

Is CRA taxable income? No, Commonwealth Rent Assistance is non-taxable.