The Registrar of Community Housing's office has a responsibility to investigate information, including complaints, to ensure registered community housing providers meet their responsibilities set out in the Regulatory Code under the Housing Regulation 2009 and the Housing Act 2001 (NSW).
The Registrar's office only investigates complaints about community housing providers that have been registered under the Housing Act.
The Registrar's office has a staff member designated for receiving and documenting all enquiries, notofications and complaints received.
Please note, the Registrar does not provide accommodation and is unable to assist with accommodation requests. To enquire about accommodation, please contact Housing NSW on 1300 468 746.
Enquiries, notifications and complaints can be provided in writing, verbally or via our online form.
To make a written complaint, please address your complaint to:
- Locked Bag 4001, Ashfield BC 1800
Written complaints will be responded to as soon as possible.
To make a verbal complaint, please call:
What can you complain about?
You can complain about a registered community housing provider’s performance against the Regulatory Code in the following areas:
- The fair treatment of applicants and tenants
- Community housing services that contribute to sustainable tenancies and sustainable communities
- Strategic asset management that seeks to meet tenants’ housing needs and preferences now and in the future
- Sound governance that supports confidence in community housing industry
- Maintaining high standards of probity
- The protection of government investment in community housing
- Efficient and competitive delivery of community housing with government assistance
- Delivery of community housing developments.
Making Complaints
- The Registrar has a staff member designated for receiving and documenting all information enquiries and complaints received.
- Information enquiries and complaints can be provided in writing, verbally or via our online complaints form.
- Verbal complaints are written down by the staff member taking it.
- Written complaints are responded to as soon as possible.
- Complainants may get an advocate to help them when making a complaint.
- All complaints about community housing providers made to the Registrar's office are assessed and actioned accordingly.
- Should the information or complaint fall outside the jurisdiction of the Registrar, an appropriate referral will be made.
- Should the complaint fall within the jurisdiction of the Registrar, the staff member will attempt to resolve the issue at the initial point of contact.
- Where a complaint can not be resolved at the initial point of contact a plan to investigate the complaint will be formulated and the Registrar will notify the community housing provider involved and seek a response.
- If the complaint falls within the jurisdiction of the Registrar, in the first instance the Registrar's office will analyse the response provided from the community housing provider and any evidence that has been received in relation to the complaint to determine if the community housing provider has met its legislative responsibilities.
- All complaints are investigated and handled in an objective manner, using procedural fairness and the principles of natural justice.
- All staff involved in complaints management treat all information as confidential to the extent possible given the need to investigate the matter.
Confidential and Anonymous Complaints
All parties must ensure that information is restricted to those who genuinely need to know.
If a complainant wishes to remain confidential or anonymous this request will be respected and the complaint investigated to the full extent possible, however, the complainant will be advised that a confidential or completely anonymous complaint could, at times, inhibit the effective investigation of their complaint.
Complainants who remain anonymous are not afforded feedback regarding the outcome of the investigation into the matter raised.
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