This policy sets out how and when Housing SA tenants can transfer to another:

  • public or Aboriginal housing property
  • property managed by Housing SA in an Aboriginal community

Transfers are registered in line with the Housing registration and allocation policy.

This policy doesn’t apply in any of the below situations:

Tenants can transfer between public, Aboriginal housing and housing in Aboriginal communities.

Tenants transferring to Aboriginal housing must provide confirmation of Aboriginality.

Tenants registering for a transfer to housing in an Aboriginal community must confirm they’re eligible in line with the Eligibility for housing policy.

Approving a registration for transfer

Housing SA approves a registration for a transfer if the tenant meets any of the below conditions:

  • they’ve lived in their present public or Aboriginal housing property for at least 3 years
  • they’re eligible for a Category 1 or 2 transfer
  • they live in housing in an Aboriginal community managed by Housing SA

Categories

Housing SA assesses the urgency of the tenant’s situation and level of housing need to determine which category their registration for transfer to public or Aboriginal housing is placed in.

Registrations for housing in an Aboriginal community aren’t placed in a category. Housing SA assesses the needs of the registrant and other household members to determine their support and housing requirements.

Category 1

Tenants are eligible for Category 1 if they’re assessed as meeting both below conditions:

  • they, their partner or their children are at risk in their current home
  • they’re experiencing tenancy issues that make their current home unsuitable in the long term for at least one household member

Category 2

Tenants are eligible for Category 2 if they’re assessed as experiencing tenancy issues that make their current home unsuitable in the long term for at least 1 member of their household.

Category 4

Tenants are eligible for Category 4 if they’ve lived in their current property for at least 3 years and they’re not eligible for either Category 1 or 2. They’re placed on the register based on the date they were approved for a transfer. They’re given a benefit of 1 month for every year of their current tenancy.

If the tenant previously had the tenancy transferred to them through a tenancy succession, they’re given an additional benefit of 1 month for every year they lived in the property as another occupant before the tenancy succession took place.

Special circumstances

Tenants with a probationary lease agreement

Tenants with a probationary lease agreement are only eligible for a transfer if they’re eligible for Category 1.

They’re offered a 12 month probationary lease agreement at the new property, regardless of how long is left on the probationary lease agreement for their current property.

Intervention orders

Tenants who can’t live in their property under the terms of an intervention order can’t register for a transfer. If they’re already registered for a transfer and are then excluded from the property under the terms of an intervention order, the transfer registration’s cancelled.

Debt

Tenants with a debt to Housing SA can register for a transfer but are only offered housing if they either:

  • maintain an arrangement to repay the debt for 6 months in line with the Account management policy
  • are approved for Category 1 and make an arrangement to repay the debt
  • are transferring to housing in an Aboriginal community and make an arrangement to repay the debt

Bankruptcy

Tenants who are declared bankrupt with a debt to Housing SA can register for a transfer but are only offered housing if either:

  • the bankruptcy’s discharged
  • they’re approved for Category 1
  • they’re transferring to housing in an Aboriginal Community

Offering and allocating a property

Tenants who transfer to another property are starting a new tenancy and complete all the necessary documents, for example a new lease agreement and inspection form.

Tenants are responsible for giving written notice and paying any charges at their current property in line with the Ending a public housing tenancy policy.

Before moving into a public or Aboriginal housing property, tenants pay rent in advance and a bond in line with the Housing registration and allocation policy.

Rent is calculated in line with the Rent policy.

If the tenant has a fixed term lease agreement at their current property, Housing SA carries out a lease review in line with the Probationary and fixed term lease agreements policy to determine how long the fixed term lease agreement at the new property will be for.

Housing SA offers a periodic lease, also known as an ongoing lease, for the new property if the tenant either:

  • has a periodic lease at their current property
  • is moving to housing in an Aboriginal community

Related information

Controlling documents

This policy is based on and complies with:

  • Conditions of Tenancy

Supporting guidelines

  • Transfer guidelines v22

Related policies and other documents

Date this policy applies from

28 June 2023

Version number

22

The online version of the policy is the approved and current version. There is no guarantee that any printed copies are current.