Helpful reminders

Remember to let the department know as soon as possible about changes in your household or circumstances.

Changes that you need to tell the department include:

• If the income of you or anyone in your household increases or decreases, you should tell the department within 28 days.
• If a person moves in or out of the property you are living in, you must advise the department within 28 days.
• If you have visitors for more than four weeks, you must advise the department straight away. You will need to tell the department your visitors' names, the date their visit began and how long they intend to stay.

Changes to your income, people moving in or out, and visitors staying with you can also affect the amount of rent you are required to pay. If you don't tell the department about changes straight away, any rent increase may be backdated.

It is important to let the department know if you are going to be away from your property, even for a short period.

If you intend to be away from your rental property for more than three months the legal enant, or an authorised person, is required to:

• complete a Request for Temporary Absence from Property form, available online or from your nearest Department of Housing office and tell the department why you are going away
• advise the department how long you will be away
• advise the department if there will be a caretaker living in the property in your absence
• provide your contact details while you are away.

It is important that you complete these tasks before you go away. Please note that all requests for temporary absence are subject to approval. If your request is not approved you will be given a reason and informed of the process if you would like to appeal the decision.

If you are going to be away from your property for less than three months, you should still notify the department and provide your contact details while you are away.

Knowing that you are away will allow the department to:

• be sure that the property has not been abandoned
• ease any neighbours' converns about your wellbeing
• contact you if anything happens to the property during your absence.

There are a number of steps you need to do when you move out of your property.

You must:

• advise the department at least 14 days before you want to leave
• fill out a Notice of Intention to Leave Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) Form 13, available at www.rta.qld.gov.au or from your nearest Department of Housing office
• hand in the keys to your nearest Department of Housing office.

For more information about arrangements for leaving your property please contact your nearest Department of Housing office.