Access to information

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development (the Department) aims to deliver cohesive and community-focussed services and activities to improve the lives of all Territorians.

Personal and government information is collected, stored and used in line with:

  • legislation
  • records management practices
  • privacy considerations.

There are two ways in which you can access information held by DHLGCD: through the Residential Tenancies Act for tenant-related information, or through freedom of information under the Information Act for broader applications.

Accessing Tenancy Information under the Residential Tenancies Act

Tenants have rights under the Residential Tenancies Act 1999 (NT) (RTA) to access their own tenancy records from their landlord in accordance with statutory timeframes. The type of information that can be provided under the RTA includes:

Type of information Able to be released under the RTA Requires FOI application
Tenancy agreements Yes, where only the tenant is listed Yes, but parts may be redacted
Property condition reports Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Repair and maintenance records Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Notices issued to the tenant Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Transfer applications Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Property inspection reports Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Tenant correspondence Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Tenant debt Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Payroll deductions Yes NA
Statutory declarations by the tenant Yes NA
Anti-social behaviour reports Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Property condition reports immediately prior to the tenant taking possession Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Bond account statement Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Rent ledgers/payment histories Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Communication logs about the tenancy Yes, those parts specific to the tenant Yes, but parts may be redacted
Police records on file about the tenancy No Yes, but parts may be redacted
Records relating to previous tenancies No Yes, but parts may be redacted

What is not included under the Residential Tenancies Act

The following information will not be provided to the tenant under the RTA process:

  • Information relating to third parties, including co-tenants or people who have lodged complaints about anti-social behaviour;
  • Commercial-in-confidence information such as quotes and invoices from maintenance contractors; and
  • Information in the communications log that gives details about third parties (for example, people who have made complaints of anti-social behaviour).

If the tenant wishes to access this information, they should lodge an application for access to the information under the Information Act (i.e. the freedom-of-information process).

To request your tenancy information, please submit a Tenant Information Request (TIR) form.

Contact for information under the Residential Tenancies Act

Housing Advocate Enquiries
Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development
GPO Box 4621 Darwin NT 0801
Phone:  1800 685 743

Email: Housing.TenantInformation@nt.gov.au

Complete the Application form for information under the Residential Tenancies Act DOCX (108.0 KB).

Freedom of Information (FOI) under the Information Act

If the information you seek cannot be provided through the TIR process, you can apply for access through Freedom of Information (FOI).  Please note that FOI is a formal legislative process, which generally involves longer timeframes and additional requirements for applicants.  Please note that information may be subject to exclusions if it relates to third-parties or confidential matters.  Fees may also apply, depending on the information requested.

For details on how to lodge an FOI application, please visit Northern Territory Government website Freedom of information

More information

To learn more, see DHLGCD’s Privacy Policy and NTG’s Copyright, Disclaimer and Privacy guidance.

How to request access

To request access to information follow these steps:

Step 1: access the relevant form from application forms below.

Step 2: complete the form and submit to DCDD along with relevant fees and proof of identity.

You can also submit an application to waive or reduce fees, if you can give financial or other reasons for the waiver or reduction.

Department of Corporate and Digital Development
GPO Box 2391
DARWIN NT 0801

Email: FOI@nt.gov.au

Phone: 08 8999 1793

More information

Go to the Northern Territory Government website to read about:

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