Enquiries & Complaints
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 1800 422 322
The Registrar’s role
An important function of the Registrar of Community Housing is to investigate complaints and other matters in respect of community housing providers that are registered under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH) or the NSW Local Scheme.
This function is given to the Registrar by section 10(1)(e) of the Community Housing Providers (Adoption of National Law) Act 2012 (NSW).
The Registrar investigates all complaints about registered community housing providers to determine whether they are meeting their obligations under the National Regulatory Code.
The Registrar’s role is to ensure that registered community housing providers comply with the National Regulatory Code.
The provider must be registered
The Registrar's office can only investigate complaints about community housing providers that are registered under the NRSCH or the NSW Local Scheme.
You can check if a provider is registered by searching the NRSCH National Provider Register or the NSW Local Scheme Provider Register.
What can you complain about?
Anyone who has concerns about whether a registered community housing provider is meeting its responsibilities under the National Regulatory Code can notify us of their concerns or make a complaint. This includes tenants, tenant advocates, and people who work with providers. Complaints and notifications are an important source of information and intelligence for the Registrar.
What matters are out of the Registrar's scope?
The Registrar does not have power to resolve disputes between individual tenants and their providers, such as disputes involving:
- Termination of the tenancy agreement
- Breach of the agreement, such as rent arrears
- Disputes related to tenancy transfers
- Shared facilities charges
- Payments of debts
- Repairs and maintenance
- Rents and rent increases
- Disputes between tenants.
These types of disputes are usually dealt with by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). Information about NCAT’s power to resolve tenancy disputes relating to community housing is available here: NCAT - Social Housing
Also, the Registrar does not handle appeals from decisions by registered community housing providers relating to an individual’s eligibility, priority or entitlement to housing. Applicants and tenants can appeal these decisions through the Housing Appeals Committee. Examples of matters the Housing Appeals Committee handles include:
- For applicants - most issues related to eligibility to be on waiting lists, priority on those lists and the provision of other services, for example emergency housing
- For tenants - most issues related to transfer, disability modifications of dwellings, succession of tenancy, calculation of rental subsidy.
Information about making an appeal to the Housing Appeals Committee is available here: Housing Appeals Committee
How to make an enquiry or complaint
Enquiries and complaints can be made by telephone or in writing. An online form is available where the provider is registered under the NRSCH.
Registrar of Community Housing
PO Box 2236
Burwood North NSW 2134
Our email is registrar@homes.nsw.gov.au
Our telephone number is 1800 330 940
How we handle complaints and enquiries
- The Registrar has a staff member designated for receiving and documenting all information, enquiries and complaints received
- Information, enquiries and complaints can be provided verbally or in writing
- Verbal complaints are written down by the staff member taking them
- 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
- If the information or complaint falls outside the Registrar's jurisdiction, an appropriate referral will be made
- If a complaint is within the Registrar's jurisdiction:
- the staff member will attempt to resolve the issue at the initial point of contact
- where a complaint cannot 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
- the Registrar's office will analyse the community housing provider's response 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
Unreasonable Complainant Conduct
Most complainants who come to our office act reasonably and responsibly in their interactions with us, even when they are experiencing high levels of distress, frustration and anger about their complaint. However in a very small number of cases some complainants behave in ways that are inappropriate and unacceptable despite our best efforts to help them. The Registrar’s Guidelines for Managing Unreasonable Complainant Conduct may be enacted in these circumstances.
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.