Emergency rent relief for flood-affected public housing tenants
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development has applied an emergency rent relief under Regulation 5 of the Housing Regulations 1983 for eligible public housing tenants from flood-affected communities.
The Northern Territory has faced major flooding and rapidly changing conditions across multiple locations during February and March 2026, forcing many residents from their homes.
Public housing tenants whose homes have been directly impacted by the February-March NT flood events may be eligible for rent relief for a period of time if:
- a tenant is evacuated from their dwelling, and/or
- the dwelling is not available to occupy due to damage caused by an emergency or disaster event.
No application needed
Importantly, eligible tenants do not need to apply for this support. The appropriate rent relief will be applied automatically for public housing tenants.
A rent adjustment will be applied to eligible tenancies for a period matching the time the tenant was displaced by the weather event.
The department will be in touch with tenants to advise them of the rent relief that is applied.
What is happening now
The department is committed to supporting Territorians through the days and weeks ahead. We will continue to work closely with other Northern Territory Government agencies and emergency services to support communities through response and recovery. This includes assessing impacts to public housing and supporting tenants where properties have been affected.
We continue to survey and assess conditions for entry to communities, followed by scoping of properties for safety.
Stay informed
Residents should continue to follow emergency service advice.
For official updates and public information, go to:
