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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 2203 ..
Mr Wood: The answer to the member's question is as follows:
(1) Yes. However, the tenant/s may not be the only persons living in the property. All people living in the property are declared on the Residential Tenancy Agreement at the time of signing the Agreement. Friends and/or relatives may move in with the tenant/s after the Residential Tenancy Agreement has been signed. If the friends and/or relatives are earning an income, they should be declared on the tenant/s rental rebate form.
(2) ACT Housing's current policy is to carry out Customer Service Visits (CSVs) annually. Information collected is household composition, confirmation that the tenant is in fact occupying the accommodation, condition of the property and maintenance to be carried out. Rental rebate and debt issues are discussed with the tenant where applicable. As well, other tenancy issues such as noise or neighbourhood conflict are discussed, if applicable.
(3) ACT Housing's current policy is not to agree to tenant/s subletting their accommodation. Monitoring is done during CSVs as outlined in (2) above, namely that the composition of the household accords with either the Residential Tenancy Agreement or the tenant/s current rental rebate form.
(4) Yes, ACT Housing is aware of some unapproved sublets. The ramifications for the tenant are that they risk losing their tenancy if they do not remedy the situation. The process is that ACT Housing serves the tenant with a Notice to Remedy requiring them to resume occupancy of the premises and remove any illegal occupants within 14 days. If the tenant does not remedy they are served with a Notice to Vacate and, if they do not vacate, an application is made to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal for a Warrant of Eviction.
(5) Changes in a public housing tenants circumstances are monitored through advice from the tenant either by way of a letter or a Rental Rebate form, information gathered during CSVs or from investigation of information provided by a third party. Changes in a tenant's circumstances will not affect his/her tenancy because they have security of tenure unless there has been a breach of their Residential Tenancy Agreement. However, if the composition of the household has changed they may seek a transfer to accommodation that better suits their changed circumstances.
Housing-maintenance
(Question No 680)
Mrs Burke
asked the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, upon notice:In relation to maintenance in ACT Housing properties:
(1) How many maintenance requests (please distinguish, where applicable, between requests made in relation to repairs concerning tenant's private dwelling premises and those relating to non-private, public areas of the property) were before ACT Housing as at 30 April 2003;
(2) What sort of maintenance requests were on this list, please provide at least the top ten requests;
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