Bric encourages all tenants to maintain friendships and connections with the wider community, but you are responsible for the behaviour of your guests and you must ensure they also comply with your lease agreement when they enter the premises.
Bric offers various rent payment methods including Centrepay Deductions, deposit books and internet banking or direct transfer. Please contact us for payment method details and set up.
Regular payments can be automatically deducted from your Centrelink benefits using Centrepay Deductions. This option provides convenience and security at no extra cost to you.
You can complete a Centrepay Deduction form, which we can then set up on your behalf using access to the Centrelink website. Alternatively, you can arrange deductions directly with Centrelink. You will require our service Centrelink Reference Number and your BRIC ID number to arrange a deduction.
Internet banking or other direct transfer options are available to you from your own bank. Generally with internet banking options, you can set up a transfer to re occur when required.
Some banks also provide automatic transfers, which can be set up from a bank or over the phone. These types of transactions can sometimes incur a fee, so please check with your individual institution.
Although Centrepay or Internet banking are preferred, Bric Housing has two other methods for rent payment:
EFTPOS
Bric has an Eftpos facility to enable you to pay your rent with your bank debit card. Please contact your Housing Worker if you would like to use Eftpos. Please note we do not accept cash for rent payments.
Deposit books can be provided for regular over the counter bank deposits. They are pre-printed with our bank account details.
Deposit books can be used at any Bank of Queensland branch.
As a Bric tenant, you are required to pay rent for your home, along with a rental bond and, in some instances, utility charges.
Charges may vary according to the specific type of housing provided, your income or your individual circumstances. All fees are calculated in accordance with our rent policy.
Your rent has been calculated based on a percentage of your gross assessable household income (or capped at the market rent value for the property, whichever is less), including Commonwealth Rent Assistance:
Note Community-Managed Studio Units incur the additional 3% cost to cover maintenance and replacement of furniture and appliances that are supplied.
As part of your initial interview and offer of accommodation, you will have been provided with a rent assessment report to demonstrate the income that has been assessed as part of your review and how your rent is calculated.
For further information and the relevant policy, please visit the Department of Housing and Public Works website
If you have problems paying your rent, you should contact Bric as soon as possible as any delay could seriously affect the way we are able to help you.
We are sympathetic to anyone who is having difficulty paying their rent and will try to help you as much as we can.
We treat each enquiry with courtesy and understanding, and all information is treated with the strictest confidence.
Your Housing Worker can either telephone you at home, visit you, or you can meet with your Housing Worker at our office.
They will discuss your arrears situation with you and depending on your circumstances, set up a realistic repayment plan.
If you do not pay your rent, we will pursue a firm but fair approach to the recovery of rent arrears. Using the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 as a guide, we have a series of steps to follow when tenants do not pay their rent on time, including:
days overdue (four days overdue if you are in a boarding house room). If you receive a Notice, you should contact your Housing Worker immediately to discuss your situation and arrange a repayment plan
Administrative Tribunal if you still have rent arrears outstanding when the Notice to Leave expiry date has passed. If you have a payment plan in place and are making repayments, then action on the warrant can be postponed. The warrant could be cancelled once the arrears have been cleared and you are maintaining your rent payments in accordance with your lease agreement.
QSTARS (Qld Statewide Tenant Advice and Referral Service) provides advice, information and assistance about tenancy matters. If you would like advice about your tenancy you may contact QSTARS for free and independent advice for renters:
Statewide advice number: 1300 744 263
Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday (with extended hours to 7pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Website: https://qstars.org.au/
You can apply for a transfer to another property if you can demonstrate that your current home is no longer appropriate to meet your housing need.
To be considered, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
In addition, it is expected that your rent and any maintenance payments will be up-to-date and that your current home has been kept in good condition.
To apply for a transfer, please contact or visit our office so that we can get a transfer application to you. You are required to complete the transfer form, attach the necessary evidence to support your transfer request and submit it back to Bric Housing. It will be passed onto the Housing Services team to be assessed.
We will advise you of the outcome of your application in writing or will contact you for further information if required.
If you are approved for a transfer you must list six locations (suburbs, towns or cities) of your choice, except where you have demonstrated the need to live in a particular location. We will attempt to identify a suitable property within our housing portfolio to transfer you to.
If a suitable property is not available, we will attempt to initiate the transfer with another housing provider or via the Department of Housing and Public Works.
For further information on the transfer process, please contact our office on (07) 3230 5555.
If you need assistance please call, email or fill out the form.