Being away for up to six weeks

If you will be away for up to six weeks at a time, or for a total of six weeks in a 12-month period, you don’t need any formal approval, but you will need to:

• Keep paying your rent and any other debt arrangements you have with your Tenancy Manager
• Keep your electricity connected
• Arrange for someone to check on your home and collect your mail while you are away

Being away for more than six weeks

We understand that under special circumstances you may need to be away from your home for more than six weeks at one time, or for a total of more than six weeks in a 12-month period. In these instances, you should talk to your Tenancy Manager who will consider your circumstances, and
assess if your need to be away from your property balances the needs of other clients on the Housing Register waiting for housing assistance.

Examples of fair reasons to be away for more than six weeks include:

• Health and wellbeing (medical treatment, hospitalisation, rehabilitation, or carer’s responsibilities)
• Work, training or study
• Family, kinship and cultural responsibilities
• Travel for a significant life event, circumstance or emergency
• Domestic or family violence or child safety issues

If you are away for a total of more than five months in a 12-month period, your Tenancy Manager may discuss your ongoing needs for social housing.
Keeping your Tenancy Manager updated It is important to tell your Tenancy Manager when you will be away, for how long and how you can be contacted while you are away. This will help them to:

• Answer any queries about your home being ‘vacant’ or appearing to be ‘abandoned’
• Contact you in case of an emergency, for example, if your home is damaged in a storm or broken into
• Fairly allocate charges for property repairs caused by vandalism

If you will be away from your home for less than six weeks, but other approved household members will stay at home, you do not need to give your contact details to your Tenancy Manager. It is important to remember that as the tenant, you are still responsible for the property and approved household members even when you are away from your property.

You can contact your Tenancy Manager by calling 07 4723 5611, sending an email to enquiries@yumbameta.com.au or by visiting Head Office.