Accommodation Security Cover Grant
You may find accommodation where your supplier needs assurance that costs can be paid for if you leave. If so, we may be able to provide that assurance.
The Accommodation Security Cover Grant can pay for costs a bond would usually cover, like:
- unpaid accommodation costs
- damages to property or chattels
- missing chattels
- rubbish removal or cleaning costs the accommodation provider has had to pay for
- change of locks or replacement keys (if you've lost the keys)
- any costs included in a Disputes Tribunal, Tenancy Tribunal, or court order.
Apply once you've found accommodation. We'll give you a 'Letter of assurance' you can show to your supplier, e.g. your head tenant. It will assure them we can cover any costs you have when you leave, if you leave within 1 year. If you need to pay costs when you leave, you can make a claim to get the grant paid. If you don't agree to the costs, your accommodation supplier can make a claim.
If you're going to stay there for longer than 1 year, you can apply for another grant after the 1 year period has ended.
If you or your accommodation supplier make a claim, you'll need to pay the money back. We'll put a repayment plan in place to suit your financial circumstances.
Who can get it
You may be able to get an Accommodation Security Cover Grant if:
- your accommodation supplier needs assurance that costs you may have at the end of your stay can be paid for
- when you claim, you:
- need the grant to pay for any costs you may have, and
- have left your accommodation within 1 year.
We'll also take into account other factors, such as:
- your situation
- if you can afford to stay in your accommodation long-term
- how long you'll be living in your accommodation (generally this needs to be at least 28 days)
- if this is the best payment for you
- what other help is available to you.
There are also residency and income criteria you need to meet.
Residency criteria
You must be either:
- getting a main benefit, NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension, or
- ordinarily resident in New Zealand and either:
- a New Zealand citizen
- have a residence class visa under the Immigration Act 2009
- recognised as a refugee or protected person under the Immigration Act 2009, or
- getting a Special Needs Grant because you came to New Zealand on a temporary visa to be with your New Zealand partner and your relationship ended due to domestic violence.
Income criteria
Getting an Accommodation Security Cover Grant also depends on:
- how much you and your partner earn
- any money or assets you and your partner have.
Income limits
| If you're: | Weekly income (before tax) is less than |
|---|---|
| Single, 16+ years | $1,337 |
| Couple without children | $1,979 |
| Couple with children | $2,308 |
| Sole parent, 1 child | $1,823 |
| Sole parent, 2+ children | $2,103 |
Asset limits
Assets include money in the bank, or things like a caravan or second property. Assets don’t include the things you need for day-to-day living, like the home where you live or your car.
If you’re: |
Your assets are worth less than: |
|
Single |
$8,100 |
|
Married, civil union or de facto couple (with or without children) or sole parent |
$16,200 |
What you can get
You'll get the lesser amount of:
- the actual amount of accommodation costs you owe at the end of your accommodation agreement, or
- 4 weeks accommodation costs.
How many grants you can get
The Accommodation Security Cover Grant and Bond Grant are paid for similar reasons. This means you can only get these payments a total of twice in 52 weeks (i.e. 1 year).
So within 52 weeks, you could get either:
- 2 Accommodation Security Cover Grants
- 2 Bond Grants, or
- 1 Accommodation Security Cover Grant and 1 Bond Grant.
You may be able to get another grant if there's an exceptional situation outside your control, for example:
- you unexpectedly need to move through no fault of your own, or
- you're in a family violence situation.
How to apply
Step 1 - Call us
Call us on:
- 0800 559 009 or
- 0800 552 002 if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension.
We'll book you an appointment to come in and see us.
You'll need to bring:
- a copy of your accommodation agreement, and
- a letter from your accommodation supplier confirming that they need this security cover.
Step 2 - Go to an appointment
At your appointment, we'll:
- check if you qualify for an Accommodation Security Cover Grant, and
- give you an application form to fill out.
We'll process your application and let you know if it's approved or not.
Step 3 - Get a Letter of assurance
If your application's approved, we'll give you a letter of assurance. You'll need to give this letter to your accommodation supplier.
This letter will explain:
- what the Accommodation Security Cover Grant is
- the conditions of the grant
- how you can claim for the grant
- what evidence you'll need to provide for costs that need to be paid, and
- how we'll pay the accommodation supplier.
Making a claim
You can make a claim if:
- your accommodation agreement ends within 1 year
- you have costs to pay for, and
- you agree to the costs.
The claim needs to be lodged within 3 months after your accommodation agreement ends.
If you don't agree to the costs, your accommodation supplier can make a claim. They'll need to provide a Disputes Tribunal Order or court order.
How to make a claim
You can make a claim by showing us evidence of the costs you need to pay, e.g:
- invoices for damage, or
- bank statements showing accommodation costs owing.
You can bring these documents into your local service centre or post them to us.
If the claim is approved
If the claim is approved, we'll pay the money directly to your accommodation supplier.
We'll check if they are already a supplier with us. If they're not, we'll ask them to register as a supplier by completing a 'Supplier Registration Form'. This is so we can make the payment to them.