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Housing, property and land

Finding a place you can afford

On this page you will find out about:

What is affordable?
Public and community housing
Assistance to secure a private rental property

What is affordable?

Rent is an ongoing financial commitment, so it is important to work out how much you can afford. You should also consider other ongoing expenses - eg utility bills, groceries and transport costs.

If you fail to pay rent it can lead to eviction and a poor tenancy record. This can make it difficult to secure rental accommodation in the future.

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Public and community housing

Public housing is funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments and rent is charged at a rate affordable for your household income. There can be a long wait for housing and it can be several years before you are offered a property.

Community housing organisations include housing cooperatives and housing associations. They can vary in size and provide housing to people on a low income or target a specific needs group. These groups include:

people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
people experiencing domestic or family violence
the aged
people with disabilities
single parent families
people on a low income.

Housing associations and housing cooperatives charge rent at a rate affordable on your household income. There can be a long wait for housing and it can be several years before you are offered a property.

Preferred Growth Providers are working in conjunction with governments to increase the number of affordable rental properties available to the community. These organisations generally set rent at about 30% of gross household income.

For more information on public housing - see Applying for public housing.

For more information on community housing - see About renting from community housing organisations.

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Assistance to secure a private rental property

You may be eligible to get assistance and support securing private rental accommodation - see Advocacy and support for securing a private rental property.

If you are eligible Housing SA can pay all or part of a bond or rent in advance. This is to help you secure a property, including into residential parks, boarding houses, shelters, privately rented properties or community housing (bond only).
For more information - see Applying for financial assistance.

If you have limited experience renting or don’t have references this can make it difficult for you to secure a property. A variety of organisations offer training courses that will give you a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. For more information - see Information and training for first time renters and young people.

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