Access Housing Online

Sign-in details

• use a strong password that is easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess
• keep your personal information and passwords secure - don't share your sign in details with others
• don’t send your account email address and password to anyone by email or SMS
• don’t let other people see your device screen when you tick the ‘show password’ option
• always sign out of your Housing Online account when you finish using it.

Secret question and memorable date

Your secret question and memorable date help to keep your Housing Online account secure.

It’s important to keep your secret answer and memorable date safe:

• don’t share your secret questions and answers or memorable date with others
• don’t use answers that other people can easily figure out or that can be found on social media or online
• don’t let other people see you enter your memorable date or the answers to your secret questions.

Suspicious activity on your account

If you think someone has accessed your Housing Online account, change your password immediately.

The Australian Government’s eSafety Commissioner website has advice and a range of practical tips to help you protect your personal information online.

Overview

By using the Housing Online portal, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. Communities may change, make improvements to or modify this portal at any time and without prior notice to you. It is your obligation to keep yourself informed as to any changes to these Terms and Conditions.

Housing Online account

To have an account, you must be a “natural person” and have your own email address. You must keep passwords, personal identification numbers and answers to security questions confidential and must not share these details with anyone else. You are fully responsible for all activities that occur through the use of your password and must immediately change your password should you become aware that any unauthorised person has obtained or has access to your login details.

You are not allowed to access another person’s Housing Online portal account.

Privacy

You agree that Communities may collect and use your personal information to provide you with access to and/or services associated with your use of the Housing Online portal. Communities will manage any personal information collected in accordance with our Privacy, Confidentiality and Duty of Care Policy.

You are responsible for ensuring that any personal information you submit to us is accurate, up-to-date, complete and not misleading. If your details change, you should sign-in to the Housing Online portal and update your details.

Electronic Communication: When you request a Housing Online portal account, you agree to Communities communicating with you electronically and understand that you can revoke your consent at any time by contacting Communities.

Disclaimer

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Communities and its respective employees, officers and agents disclaim any and all responsibility for any loss, damage, cost or expense caused by or in connection with the use of the Housing Online portal or reliance upon data or material contained within the portal whether based upon warranty, contract or tort (including negligence) or otherwise.

Communities cannot and do not represent or warrant the completeness or accuracy of the material provided on this portal or links provided to an external website. It is your responsibility to make your own decisions about the suitability, relevance, accuracy and reliability of the content provided.

Internet communications may be susceptible to interference or interception by third parties. Despite its best efforts, Communities is not liable to you or anyone else if there is any interference with or damage to your computer systems arising from your use of this website or an external site, including but not limited to infection by computer viruses, malware or other unauthorised software.

By accessing the Housing Online portal, you will be deemed to have released and discharged Communities from all liability which might arise as a result of your use of the portal and any information you provide through, upload to or download from the portal.

Governing Law

The laws of Western Australia govern these terms and conditions.

If your query isn’t covered in the help topics below, please contact Housing Online. 

These help resources are also available as downloadable PDF documents with screenshots.

Step 1: Create an account

You can set up an account to access online housing services by visiting the Housing Online portal and selecting Create an account on the login page.

Enter your email address and create a password. Then click Next.

Tips:

• Each Housing Online account must have a unique email address. You can’t use the same email for two different people, so if you share an email address with someone, only one of you can use it to create a Housing Online account.
• Your password must have at least eight characters and include at least one capital letter, one lower case letter and one number.

Step 2: You will receive an email with a link to Housing Online

The link remains valid for one hour. If you can’t access your email or complete the registration process within this period, you’ll need to restart the registration process.

Check your Inbox and open the email sent by Communities. Click the activation link button or copy and paste the link into your web browser.

Step 3: Provide your details to complete registration

Select one of the reference number options from the drop-down menu. You can use:

• our reference number
• your tenancy reference number
• your bond assistance number
• our payment reference number
• your application reference number for social housing.

Tip: You can find these numbers in previous letters or account statements you received from Communities about housing assistance.

Enter your unique reference number.

Enter your first name, last name and date of birth in the personal details section.

Secret question and memorable date:

• Secret question and memorable date answers help keep your account secure.
• Select your secret question from the options on the drop-down list and enter your answer. Choose something memorable that only you can answer.
• Create your memorable date. It should be something that is easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess.

Read the Terms and Conditions. If you agree to the terms, tick the box "I accept the Housing Online Terms and Conditions" and click the Finish button.

You have created a Housing Online account. Select Continue to login and use your email address and password to sign in.

Frequently asked questions

Who can create a Housing Online account?

• Main or joint tenants who currently live in public housing and have signed the tenancy agreement for the property.
• The main applicant on a social housing application after they have been added to the waitlist.
• Bond Assistance Loan clients who are currently paying back an approved private rental bond loan.
• Private Rental Aboriginal Assistance clients who are currently paying back an approved loan.
• A former public housing tenant, who was either the main or joint tenant for the tenancy.

Where can I find a reference number to create my Housing Online account?

Here’s an explanation of the different reference numbers you can use to create your Housing Online account, and where to find them:

• Our Reference number: a unique number that the Department of Communities creates when you seek Housing assistance from us. You can find the Our Reference number on letters from Communities (or the Housing Authority) about your housing.
• Tenancy Reference number: a unique number created by the Department of Communities when we lease a public housing property. It applies to current and former public housing tenants. You can find your Tenancy Reference number on letters from us (or the Housing Authority) about your public housing tenancy.
• Payment Reference Number: unique numbers that the Department of Communities creates for rent, water and repairs payments. You can find your payment reference numbers on the rent statements we send you.
• BAL Reference number: a unique number that is created if you have been approved for a private rental Bond Assistance Loan (BAL). You can find this number on letters that Communities housing has sent to you.
• Application Reference number: a unique number that is created after you apply for social housing and receive confirmation that you are on the waitlist. You can find this number on letters that we send you about your application for social housing.

My personal details do not match. What do I do?

Check that you have entered your personal details correctly and use the personal details you used when you requested housing assistance. If you haven’t made a mistake, this means that the information you’ve provided doesn’t match our records. You will need to contact your local Communities Housing office to update personal details such as your full name or date of birth if they are out of date or incorrect.

• My accounts: view all accounts and transactions for rent, water, repairs, tenant liability, bond assistance loans, former tenants accounts or other accounts related to your housing assistance.
• Update my contact details: keep your home number, mobile number, email address or contact address up to date.
  (Tip – When you provide your email address and/or your mobile number, you will be automatically subscribed to receive electronic messages from the Department of Communities about your housing assistance.)
• My messages: view messages sent to you by Housing Online. Other correspondence from the Department of Communities (e.g. letters) is not displayed here.
• My login: update your Housing Online login details including email, password, secret question and memorable date. You’ll need to use your updated login details next time you use Housing Online.
• My repairs: view the history of repairs reported for your public housing tenancies.
• My tenancies: view the history of your public housing tenancies.
• My housing application: view applications for social housing or public housing transfers
• My personal details: view our records of your name, date of birth and identification document number. If this information is incorrect you will need to contact your local Communities Housing office.
• My Glossary: explanations of commonly used terms in our Housing Online services.

The balance of your accounts is displayed on the right side of the screen. If the amount is displayed without a minus sign in front (e.g. $20.00) it means your payments are up to date. If your balance appears in red with a negative sign in front of the amount (e.g. -$385.25) it means you have fallen behind on payments.

If you are behind on payments, you can make one using the payment options listed on this screen.

To view more detailed information on any of your accounts, click Actions and select View statement.

You can view debit and credit transactions for the past 12 months and filter your transactions by Charges or Payments. Select your filter and click View.

You can also filter transactions by date. Select the From and To dates and click View.

The Download Account Statement button will allow you to download a printable electronic PDF version of your Housing account statements.

The statement will print up to 24 months of previous transactions or the date range period you have selected (up to 48 months prior to the current date).

If you pay any of your accounts by direct debit, click Actions and select Payment schedule to review past payments and future payments scheduled from your nominated bank account.

Click the Future payments tab for future payments and click the Historic payments tab for past payments.

To see more past or future payments, click Next at the end of this page. If you want to go back to My accounts page, click Back.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my account has been paid in full?

When you log into My accounts, your account balance is shown on the right of the screen. If you have paid off the account debt in full, the balance will be $0.00.

What is a rechargeable repairs account?

This account includes any repair charges that a Housing tenant is liable for.

What is a sundry account?

This account is for charges that are not related to rent, water, tenant liability or former tenancy charges, e.g. court costs.

What is a former tenancy debt account?

This account includes any charges from a previous Housing tenancy. It includes charges that you are responsible for like unpaid rent, water charges or repairs.

If I make a payment using one of the payment options, will it show straight away in my account?

No. It may take up to three business days for the payment to be processed and appear in the relevant account.

What does the negative sign (e.g. -$125.35) in front of my balance mean?

This means your account is in debit and you are behind on payments. You can make a payment using one of the options at the bottom of the My accounts screen. Remember to allow up to three business days for a payment that you make to be processed and reflected in your Housing Online account. Payment options include:

• Credit card
• Australia Post Billpay

What are the charges in the My accounts screen?

Charges means that your account has been billed the amounts owing for rent, water consumption, repairs etc.

What are the payments in the My accounts screen?

These show the payments you have made for costs associated with your tenancy for rent, water consumption, repairs, etc.

What does the 'Load more' button do?

This button at the bottom of the My accounts screen gives you the option to view additional transactions. Each time you click the button, 25 more transactions will be displayed. If you have fewer than 25 transactions in your account, the button will not be displayed.

Are the account transactions listed in Housing Online different from my quarterly statement?

The transactions in Housing Online are listed in order from the most recent to the oldest, whereas the transactions in your quarterly statements are listed in the reverse order, from oldest to most recent. Although the order is different, the transaction amounts and dates are the same.

What is the 'Download Account Statement' button for?

This button will allow you to download a printable PDF version of your Housing account statements.

To update your contact details online click My contact details.

Enter your new contact details in the fields that need updating.

If you have provided us with written authority to liaise with a welfare agency or an advocate acting on your behalf, you can update their contact details in the Advocate name and Advocate contact number fields.

You can also update the details of your next of kin in the Next of kin name and Next of kin contact number fields.

Once you’ve added your contact details in the relevant fields, click Update at the bottom of the screen.

Tip: When you provide us with your email address and mobile phone, you will be automatically subscribed to receive messages from Housing including emails and SMS messages. You can change these preferences by contacting your local Communities Housing office or emailing housingonline@communities.wa.gov.au.

Frequently asked questions

Some of my contact details are not displayed in Housing Online. What does this mean?

This means we don’t have this information on our system. To ensure we can contact you to discuss your housing needs, please update the relevant fields on screen and click the update button.

Do I need to update all the fields in the contacts page?

No. Just complete the fields that need to be amended and click the update button when you’re finished.

If I update my contact details on this page, will this update my records with Housing?

If you update your contact details on the Contact Details pages, it will update our records immediately – there’s no need to visit an office.

If I update my email address in My Contact Details, will it change my login details?

Yes. Please remember to use the updated email address next time you log in to Housing Online.

What is an advocate? Do I need to provide their details?

An advocate is a person or organisation who acts on your behalf in relation to any housing matters with us.
You need to provide Housing with written authority confirming that we have permission to liaise with your advocate. If you have engaged an advocate, you can update their contact details on Housing Online.

Do I need to provide next of kin details?

A next of kin is a contact person nominated by you who may be able to assist Housing in case of emergency or unexpected events.
These may include storm damage, urgent maintenance, property damage due to vandals, or a break in to the leased public housing property while you are away, or if you become ill or injured. They may be a close relative. They do not need to live in your property.

To change your Housing Online login details including email, password, secret question and memorable date click My login details from the dashboard.

If you change your email address on Housing Online, this information will be updated in our system records. Remember to use this updated email address next time you login to Housing Online. If you change your password, you need to enter your current password and your new password twice for validation.

You can also change your secret question and your memorable date. Choose from the list of options for your secret question.

Frequently asked questions

I only want to change my login email address. What do I do?

You can change your email address by using My login details of My contact details page. Once you click Update, your email address will be updated in our records, and you need to use the updated email address next time you use our online services.

I only want to change my password. What do I do?

If you only want to change your password, enter your current and new password in the relevant fields and click Update.

I've forgotten my login details. What do I do?

If you can’t remember your email address, contact support at housingonline@communities.wa.gov.au.
If you’ve forgotten your password, click the forgot password link on the login page.
You’ll be prompted to enter your email address and answer the secret question you have previously chosen.
Once this has been answered correctly, you’ll receive an email with a link and instructions to reset your password.

I can't remember the answer to my secret question. What do I do?

You have three attempts to answer your secret question. If you can’t remember after three attempts, please contact support at housingonline@communities.wa.gov.au. You will be contacted by a Housing officer who will need to confirm some details before they reset your account.

I did not receive an email to recover my password. What do I do?

Try to refresh your email inbox or check your spam/junk folder and check that there are no internet connection issues or network delays in your area. If you have checked for these issues and haven’t received the email within 10 minutes, please contact support at housingonline@communities.wa.gov.au.

I cannot access Housing Online because my email address or password is not valid. What do I do?

Check that you have entered the email and password correctly and try to enter your details again. If this doesn’t work contact support at housingonline@communities.wa.gov.au.

I was able to login previously but now it does not allow me to log back in. What do I do?

Something may have changed on your account since the last time you logged in or your email and password are entered incorrectly. Try to enter your details again. If this does not work, contact support at housingonline@communities.wa.gov.au.

How do I know if I have logged out of Housing Online?

After you click the Logout button, a new screen will display confirming that you logged out successfully.

What if I forget to logout?

We strongly recommend that you log out after you use Housing Online services. If you forget, the system will automatically log you out after 10 minutes.

These include reminders about activities associated with your public housing tenancy (e.g. annual rent reviews or property inspections) or the annual review of your application for social housing.

It does not display other correspondence including letters, account statements, SMS messages and emails.

You can choose the number of messages displayed on this screen by clicking the drop down arrow next to Number of rows above the inbox and selecting your preferred option.

The Date created field shows the date the message was generated by Housing Online. The Date read field shows the date you read the message in Housing Online. Messages are listed in order, from most to least recent.

If you want to read a message, click on the message details.

Tip: You can’t reply to messages within the Housing Online portal. If you have a query about a message sent by Housing Online, please contact your local Communities Housing office.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reply to the messages I receive from Housing Online?

You can’t reply to messages received in the My messages screen of Housing Online. If you have a query about a message sent by Housing Online, please local Communities Housing office.

Can I delete Housing Online messages?

No. Your most recent messages will be displayed at the top of the screen.

On the My repairs screen you can view the date that a repair was requested, the description of the repair and its status (raised, closed or complete).

You can filter your search by the property address of your tenancy or the repair number if you have it handy. Select your filter and click View. You can also filter by date to display transactions for a specific time period. Select the From and To dates and click View.

A link to the Maintenance Request Form is provided at the bottom of the screen under FORMS. Use this online form for any new requests for repairs at your property.

Details including your tenancy reference number, address and tenancy status are displayed.

 Click in My housing application to view a summary of your application.

The details displayed include:

• your application reference number
• the date your application was registered on the wait list
• household members on the application
• requested zone (metropolitan) or region (country area) to live in
• accommodation type (based on the householders listed in your application).

If your circumstances have changed, you need to contact your local Communities Housing office to update your details.

Frequently asked questions

My housing application details on Housing Online are incorrect. How can I update them?

This screen displays the information that is currently recorded on our system for your application. If your circumstances have changed, you need to contact your local Communities Housing office to update the information on our records.

If the information is different to the information you provided when you submitted your application for social housing, please contact your closest Housing office as soon as convenient.

My application registration date is incorrect. What do I do?

If the date that your application was approved and/or registered on the wait list is incorrect, please contact your local Communities Housing office.

What does 'accommodation type' mean?

This is the minimum number of rooms approved against your application for public housing assistance. It is based on the number of household members registered in your application.

Why isn't the number of bedrooms displayed against the accommodation type on my application information?

This usually means there are pending items to address on your application. Please contact your local Communities Housing office for more advice.

View the full name, date of birth and identification document number recorded on our system.

These should reflect the personal information on official identification documents such as your passport, birth certificate or Centrelink record.

 These details can’t be updated in Housing Online. If any information is incorrect please contact your local Communities Housing office.