Member Choice Accommodation

Member Choice Accommodation (MCA) offers quality off-base rental properties to eligible Defence members. MCA properties are available in most posting locations.

The benefits of MCA include:

• Quality properties located close to base or city centres
• No competition with open rental market
• View and reserve your property online any time
• No inspection needed to reserve a property
• No fixed lease term
• No bond or rent in advance
• Rent is automatically deducted from your pay
• 24/7 maintenance phone service

You are eligible for MCA if you are:

• a Member without Dependants or
• a Member with Dependants (Unaccompanied) and
• you are eligible for Rent Allowance

You might not be eligible for MCA if you own a property in your posting location. If you do own a property, advise us via Online Services by selecting 'My Account' then ‘My Profile'.

We will assess the property for suitability in accordance with PACMAN Chapter 7 Parts 2 and 3

You will be able to view available MCA properties when you apply for Rent Allowance in Online Services or if you are currently receiving Rent Allowance.

Each MCA property will display photographs, a list of features, floor plans and dimensions of the property.

Your dashboard will display a summary of available MCA properties. You can scroll through or click on the ‘View all’ link to see all properties on one page.

The Viewing Window

The properties displayed are determined by the date you require housing and the Ready Date of the property. This is called the viewing window. All available properties that have a ready date that is 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks after your housing required date will appear in this window.

Changing the viewing window

To see other properties that may be outside of your viewing window, you can edit the date you require MCA on the dashboard of your Online Services.

If you select a MCA property based on the new date, you will be required to occupy the property based on the new date. If you have a Commonwealth removal, you will need to contact Toll Transitions on 1800 819 167 to discuss the change in dates.

Online Services is a live site and the MCA available for selection may change at any time. During the peak posting months of October to January many members may be viewing the same properties as you. We recommend logging into Online Services regularly.

If you would like to be notified when properties become available, you can indicate that you would like to receive notifications when more properties become available. This notification can be turned off or on at any time.

When you are viewing a home, select the ‘Reservation’ link. You will then have 30 minutes to either accept or decline your selection. A counter will be activated to indicate how much time you have left to make your decision. During this 30 minutes, the home will be removed from other members viewing. If you accept your selection, the MCA will be reserved to you. If you decline your selection the MCA will reappear on Online Services for other eligible members to view and reserve.

Your next step to secure the home you have selected is to submit your completed Application for Relocation (AFR) to Toll Transitions if you have a Commonwealth removal and have not already submitted it. If you are arranging your own removal, please complete the Notification of Housing (NOH) form and submit via an Online Enquiry in ‘My Account’ of Online Services

You can share an MCA property with another serving Defence member. Civilians cannot live in MCA properties.

Only one member needs to reserve the MCA property in Online Services.

This should be the member who is moving in first if occupying on different dates.

Once the property has been reserved, raise an enquiry under 'my account' to advise the rank, name and Employee ID of the member you are sharing with.

If your sharing arrangements change during your tenancy, update the changes via ‘View/Update Tenancy Details’ on your dashboard in Online Services

Some MCA allows pets to be kept at the property in accordance with local council regulations. All Strata/Body Corporate properties require pet approval before a member can occupy. The specific pet requirements are outlined against each property in Online Services.

Many MCA properties are not suitable for more than one or two animals and may also require DHA approval.

Where the requirements indicate `By Application - Strata', request approval by raising an enquiry in Online Services under `My Account'. In these cases, approval is required from authorities such as the building's body corporate who may place restrictions on the size, type or number of animals allowed.

Some councils also have rules and regulations around pet ownership that may affect choosing and/or living in MCA.

You will be able to inspect the home you have selected on the day prior to your confirmed occupation date. The keys to the home will be made available to you on this day either from the property manager, or via lockbox details, depending on your welcome visit type.

A Welcome Visit occurs prior to you occupying your property. It is a requirement that the Defence member signs the Tenancy Agreement and Ingoing Condition report (ICR) upon acceptance of a property. Detailed below are the three different ways you can have a Welcome Visit.

Self-service welcome visit

Members who have occupied a DHA property in the past five years and attended a Welcome Visit, and who are moving in to a property which does not contain asbestos materials or is not heritage listed will have the option to conduct a Self Service Welcome Visit.

This means you will not be contacted by DHA for a phone inspection nor will a DHA Representative meet you at the property the day prior to your occupancy.

Those members who don't meet the above criteria will have a phone or on-site Welcome Visit with a DHA Representative.

Details on how to gain access to the property will be provided to you by SMS the day prior to occupation. This information will also be available in your Online Services account.

Your Tenancy Agreement will be available for review once you have confirmed your selection of a MCA property. The Inspection Condition Report (ICR) will become available the day prior to your occupation.

You will be required to sign and upload your Tenancy Agreement, and acknowledge the ICR terms and conditions in Online Services prior to your occupancy. Please also ensure both the Service Member and Witness signatures have been completed before uploading in Online Services.

If you are eligible for a Self Service Welcome Visit, however would prefer to have a traditional inspection (i.e. a DHA Representative will contact you prior to occupancy to conduct a phone inspection or will conduct an on-site Welcome Visit), you can update your inspection preferences in Online Services.

Note: if your occupation is within the next seven days, and you wish to change your Welcome Visit preference, please contact us on 139 342 as you will be unable to update your preferences in Online Services.

Phone inspections

You will receive details of the time of the Welcome Visit phone inspection, to be conducted on the day prior to your occupation. You will need to be at the property for this call.

Details on how to gain access to the property will be provided to you by SMS the day of your phone inspection. This information will also be available in your Online Services Account.

Your Tenancy Agreement will be available for review once your phone inspection has been booked. The Inspection Condition Report will become available the day prior to your occupation.

You will be required to sign and upload your Tenancy Agreement, and acknowledge the ICR terms and conditions in Online Services prior to your occupancy. Please also ensure both the Service Member and Witness signatures have been completed before uploading in Online Services.

During the Welcome Visit phone call, the Property Manager will:

• Discuss your rights and responsibilities as the occupant and explain DHA services
• Take you through the ICR, explaining the amenities and features of the home
• Ensure you have signed and returned your Tenancy Agreement and accepted your ICR

Please take the opportunity during the phone inspection to ask the Property Manager any questions about your new residence.

On-site inspections

Your Property Manager will meet you at the property to conduct an inspection with you.

During the inspection the Property Manager will:

• Discuss your rights and responsibilities as the occupant and explain DHA services
• Arrange for your Tenancy Agreement to be signed
• Take you through the ICR, explaining the amenities and features of the home and obtain acceptance of this
• Handover the property keys and remotes

Please take the opportunity during the inspection to ask the Property Manager any questions about your new residence.

No. Insurance does not cover any damage, injury or loss caused as a result of the goods being on the property.

If you are unable to attend a scheduled inspection at your property, you may appoint someone to attend on your behalf. Log into Online Services and go to ‘My Account’ then ‘Agents’. The agent will receive an email notification once created to accept or reject the request.

Your appointed agent will be able to:

• accept full responsibility for standard carpet cleaning expenses
• accept actual or potential non fair wear and tear tenant charges as detailed on the signed Inspection Condition Report (ICR)
• accept all aspects associated with return/acceptance of the property
• allow access to the property

Please note that your appointed agent cannot attend a welcome visit on your behalf. If you are unable to attend your welcome visit please contact us by submitting an Online Enquiry in ‘My Account’ of Online Services. If your welcome visit is within 72 hours, please contact us on 139 342.

If the removals contractor causes any damage to the residence or its surroundings, it must be recorded on the contractors inventory form before they leave the property; you should also request a copy for yourself.

The damage must then be reported to Toll Transitions immediately on 1800 819 167 (who will issue you with a reference number). You are also required to advise DHA by submitting an Online Enquiry via ‘My Account’ in Online Services.

MCA contributions are calculated using Rent Allowance (RA) ceilings and contributions.

The rent ceiling is the maximum amount Defence pays towards your housing costs based on the property market in your posting location.

The contribution rate is the minimum you pay towards your housing costs and is displayed in Online Services against the property you reserve.

PACMAN Chapter 7 Part 7 Division 2 and 3 explains how ceilings and contributions are calculated.

As with any rental property, your MCA property may have a rent increase during your lease term.

The increase could occur:

• on the anniversary of your move in date, based on market rent values, or
• after Defence reviews the rates for contributions and rent ceilings each year

We will advise you by email of any changes to the market rent of the property

Your contributions will start from the date of occupation. Contributions are deducted fortnightly from your normal pay and DHA will arrange to have these deductions commenced.

Allow up to two pay periods for your contribution to commence deduction from your pay. If you have any questions about when Defence will deduct your MCA contributions, you can contact the Defence Customer Service Centre on 1800 DEFENCE – (1800 333 362).

To learn more about contributions, visit the ADF Pay and Conditionssite.

A Member without Dependants (Unaccompanied) is not required to make a contribution.

A Member without Dependants may not be required to pay rent contributions if deployed, posted to a seagoing ship or submarine, or if living under field conditions for longer than 21 days. Contributions will be automatically adjusted by Defence Pay. Please direct enquiries to Defence Customer Service Centre on 1800 DEFENCE – (1800 333 362).

Contact Toll Transitions on 1800 819 167 to discuss storage entitlement if you are deploying and do not intend to retain your MCA property.

You are responsible for connection, payment and disconnection of all utilities to the property. DHA is not responsible for the provision of telephone handsets if required.

Your ‘domestic circumstances’ are the grounds by which MCA benefits are determined. Any changes need to be notified to DHA to determine your continued eligibility for a housing benefit.

Whilst in receipt of a subsidised housing benefit you are required to advise DHA of any changes to your domestic circumstances as soon as practicably possible after the change has occurred. Supporting documentation may be required and must be submitted promptly after notifying of a change. This will ensure that any assessment of your housing benefit can be completed in a timely manner.

It is important that you inform DHA of your intention to purchase a property as soon as you have signed a contract of sale as your MCA benefit may be affected. We will assess the property for suitability in accordance with PACMAN Chapter 7 Parts 2 and 3.

You can advise us of your purchase via Online Services by selecting 'My Account' then ‘My Profile’.

If the property is assessed as not suitable, your MCA benefit won’t change.

If the property is assessed as suitable, you will be eligible to live in the MCA property until either of these dates (whichever happens first):

• 1 week after settlement
• 3 months after the date the contract was signed

Typically, you will be provided with at least seven days’ notice prior to an inspection but at a minimum, you will be given 72 hours’ notice.

Periodic inspections

In order to maintain and monitor the quality of housing we provide, we conduct periodic inspections of your property during business hours. We will schedule this inspection and it will be carried out by a Property Manager, should you need to change the date/time of this inspection please contact us by submitting an Online Enquiry in ‘My Account’ of Online Services. If your inspection is within 72 hours, please contact us on 139 342. The purpose of the inspection is to identify any maintenance requirements and any non-fair wear and tear. Read about how we define non-fair wear and tear. and the standards of repair required. We may conduct additional periodic inspections of the property to help maintain the quality of our housing.

Defect and structural inspections

If you are residing in a property which has been recently constructed/upgraded, a defect or structural inspection may be required during your tenancy to identify any defects and facilitate any necessary repairs prior to the expiry of defect or structural warranty period.

Leased property inspections

The owner of a leased property is entitled to reasonable access to inspect their property, or if they are to on-sell or have their property valued. They must first contact us and where possible, we will combine a lessor inspection with a periodic inspection to minimise inconvenience.

Property sales and valuation inspections

We sell some of our properties to private investors. If your residence is to be included in this program, we will notify you and arrange for prospective investors to view the property at a mutually convenient time.

Prospective purchaser inspections

• The prospective purchaser will be accompanied through the property by a contracted Sales Consultant, or Defence Housing Australia staff member, and will remain with the representative at all times.
• No photos will be taken
• No cupboards, drawers etc will be opened
• Please note the Defence Housing Australia representative attending the inspection is a sales representative. If you need to discuss matters about the property, please submit an Online Enquiry in ‘My Account’ of Online Services.

Prospective purchaser building, pest, bank valuation inspection

• Photos may need to be taken to assist the company with its report.
• Inspections may be required by the purchaser for the purpose of a building, pest, or bank valuations. These will be coordinated with you at a mutually convenient time.
• If you need to discuss matters about the property, please submit an Online Enquiry in ‘My Account’ of Online Services.

Emergency Maintenance can be reported 24/7 through the Maintenance contact centre on 139 342.

Non urgent maintenance can be reported by submitting a maintenance request in Online Services.

Tips regarding maintenance troubleshooting can be found at Common maintenance problems.

• Common maintenance problems
• View maintenance responsibilities
• Manuals Online

Emergency maintenance

• Burst water pipes or no water
• Serious flooding
• Sewer blockage
• Complete loss of power
• Electrical faults
• Internal lights and power fittings affected by water
• Gas leaks
• Fire or storm damage
• Loss of all toilet facilities

For emergency maintenance, call the 24/7 phone service on 139 342.

The emergency maintenance service is available for repairs that affect the immediate health, safety or security of you, your family or the property.

If you call for a non-emergency maintenance issue, you will be asked to submit a routine maintenance request in Online Services.

What you can expect

• A contracted maintenance provider will respond to your emergency request within four hours.
• The maintenance work will be completed within 24 hours of receiving the request (unless the maintenance work is greater than first anticipated, in which case it may take longer).

• Common maintenance problems.
• View maintenance responsibilities.
• Manuals Online

Routine maintenance

• Defects
• Damage
• Deterioration

Submit a routine maintenance request in Online Services.

What you can expect

All routine maintenance requests are logged.

• It is our policy to respond to requests within 28 days
• We will notify you of any delays
• You can check the status and progress of your maintenance request through Online Services.

We understand that you may be absent from your property from time to time.

If your property will be vacant for 30 days or more, you must tell DHA via the enquiry form in the My Account section of Online Services.

You must also give us contact details for your nominated agent nominated agent so we can access the property for inspections or emergencies.

When you are absent, you must still:

• maintain your property and grounds
• provide access for inspections

This includes making sure lawns and gardens are watered and mowed regularly.

Submit an enquiry in Online Services under 'My Account' to advise the date you are moving and why you are moving.

If you will not require DHA's assistance to provide another housing solution, complete the MCA Clearance Form and submit it in Online Services under 'My Account'. For example, you would complete this form if you are moving to your own home; relocation as a Defence Civilian, you are Foreign Defence Exchange personnel or Philanthropic personnel' or you are going on an overseas posting.

You must give us 28 days notice or more if you plan to move out of your MCA. Please provide reasons where you are not able to provide 28 days notice.

A pre-vacation inspection (PVI) occurs prior to you moving out. Defence Housing Australia will contact you to arrange a suitable time.

It is a requirement that the Defence member is present at the PVI so that you understand your obligations for maintenance and any potential tenant charges.

If you are unable to attend your PVI, you may appoint someone to attend on your behalf. This person may be your partner or a representative. Login to Online Services today to appoint an agent.

For more information on how to appoint an agent please see Appointment of Agent.

At your PVI, your property manager will:

Discuss your cleaning requirements

Before you move out, you must clean the property to the required standard. Your tenancy agreement explains the standard.

You must also organise professional carpet cleaning for the day after your furniture is removed.

We can provide a list of recommended cleaners.

Identify non-fair wear and tear

You must repair any damage to the property from non-fair wear and tear.

You may ask us to organise repairs through one of our contractors. If you do, the charge of the repairs will be listed as a ‘tenant charge’ on the Inspection Condition Report.

Complete the Inspection Condition Report (ICR) with you

The ICR identifies potential and/or tenant charges you may be responsible for. By signing the ICR you are acknowledging that all noted charges and information is correct.

If you dispute some of the charges, we'll note this on the ICR as a 'tenant disputed charge'. Your property manager will provide you with a Details of Dispute form and you will need to complete this form and submit it to your property manager within 5 working days.

Address any concerns

Your PVI is an opportunity to ask questions, or raise any concerns.

You can also raise an enquiry in Online Services under 'My Account'.