Thank you for considering Affordable Housing Consulting

How can AHC benefit you?
AHC has been an NRAS Approved Participant since its earliest beginnings and has earned a well-deserved reputation across the Affordable Housing landscape. AHC’s sole purpose is as an NRAS Approved Participant, that is all we do, we are an established, robust business and we will be here until its 30 June 2026 conclusion. Given many of you selecting a new Participant will be seeking stability and assurances that your investment will be protected, please note:

• Our expertise and scale will preserve a high quality of service and influence amongst the governing bodies into the foreseeable future, safeguarding allocations until their expiry as best possible.
• We maintain a successful client payment rate of 99.8%
• Our compliance management is class-leading underpinned by our bespoke software and a dedicated team of NRAS specialists.

​NRAS Centre - Compliance Software
Since 2009, AHC has continually invested in developing its own NRAS compliance software called NRAS Centre. Our system facilitates greater investor oversight of the NRAS process ultimately achieving peace of mind because your critical compliance elements of record keeping, rent-setting, proof of income are all tracked and followed up within a single client portal. ​Through NRAS Centre we pride ourselves on a near zero error-rate when submitting your incentive claims come April 30, in turn ensuring timely & full delivery of your National Rental Incentive (NRI), because to do so is to the mutual benefit of both owners and AHC.

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​Superior Risk Mitigation
A system interface designed to assist property managers boost efficiency, accuracy & prevent human error.

• rent-setting & income tools/calculators assist users ​early before they draft any official documentation or approve tenant(s);
• ​finely tuned coding replicates the strict NRAS rules, i.e. the application of market rent indexing, annual rent/income thresholds & other priority risks;
• ​safeguards & prompts then prevent users from inputting non-compliant data or omitting crucial documentation, allowing property managers to make amendments before progressing further;
• the system is serviced regularly & highly adaptable to counter any policy changes.

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​Live-tracking by our Team
Year-round monitoring of all scheduled compliance activities takes place daily.

• automated alerts/email notifications for upcoming mandatory tasks (i.e. lease expiries & milestone valuations) must be addressed/cleared within set time limits otherwise further reminders go out;
• a sophisticated backend allows AHC staff to conduct ongoing audits & ensure the accuracy of data input (& escalate matters if needed); 
• other APs make the mistake of waiting until April 30 to consolidate all their NRAS year data (which is often too late).

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​Owner Engagement
The owner portal allows landlords to monitor compliance & access their payments.

• courtesy emails are sent to landlords to alert to any overdue compliance tasks;
• a streamlined end of year process – fast & precise generation of your essential incentive documentation.​

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​Record-Keeping All in One Place
To assist with any government audits, or requests by investors & other stakeholders.

• quick access to all stored data/docs;
• backed up on a secure server;
• contingencies to ensure all contact details & bank accounts are up-to-date.

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Streamlined compliance = greater focus where it counts. ​

Other notable advantages

• ​Property managers currently affiliated with AHC are provided ongoing training sessions & daily support - fine-tuning our communication skills & NRAS knowledge.
• AHC is a  Member of NRAS Providers Limited (NPL) which is a peak body of Approved Participants. NPL works with its Members & Government to see matters resolved as quickly as possible.
• AHC also works closely with other Approved Participants to ensure that we (and you) are being treated consistently and fairly.
• Our strong relationship with Stakeholders.
• Recent examples of successful collaboration include:

1. 98% of N1819 investor payments delivered in the first two weeks of July.
2. Our system & staff know-how quickly demonstrated instances where the other systems had failed or falsely cited reduced incentives where AHC were readily able to reinstate full incentive payments.

​Effective Relationships. Proven Results. Zero Stress.

We understand that you may have further questions, so below you will find a list of frequently asked questions. If you have any further questions please feel free to take a look around our site or alternatively drop us an email at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer these for you. ​​

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​FAQ's

Are there any fees that I should be aware of?
AHC charges 6% of the entire NRAS incentive payment (federal and state payments combined) taken as 24% share of the state government incentive payment.

There is also a $220.00 establishment fee for us to facilitate the transfer of the allocation from McKenzie Bond to AHC and a $220.00 exit fee should you withdraw the property from the NRAS scheme before the end of the NRAS period.  ​

​How will I be paid?
The Department of Social Services (DSS) is the Federal governing body that administers the scheme. They oversee release the Commonwealth National Rental Incentive (NRI) contribution (75%) which is claimed as a Refundable Tax Offset (RTO) on your income tax return, paid directly to you by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). DSS issue RTO certificates to AHC which are promptly forwarded to investors once verified as accurate, via our class-leading user portal, NRAS Centre.
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The State Government pays the remaining NRI component (25%) to AHC shortly after, once approval is granted by the relevant local minister. AHC then deducts their fee & deposits the balance of funds into your nominated bank account.

What are the main NRAS criteria? 
To be eligible to receive the National Rental Incentive (NRI), investors and/or the managing agent must ensure:

• Rent is discounted by at least 20% at all times.
• The property is rented to eligible tenants.
• Adherence to the relevant state's tenancy act.
• A property management agreement is entered into with AHC.

Can I provide my own property manager or self-manage?
You are able to use any property manager you wish, including self-management of the property, provided those appointed are familiar with NRAS requirements and enter into a Property & Tenancy Manager agreement with AHC.

Can I choose my own tenants?
Yes, you can authorise the admission of any tenant(s) via your approved property manager as with other non-NRAS rental properties. However, tenant(s) must meet the eligibility criteria & must not be an owner of the property.

​What is the typical schedule for payments?

1. The NRAS year ends on April 30 each year.
2. AHC along with all other NRAS participants (APs) will need to lodge the incentive claims with the Department of Social Services (DSS) by June 30 each year, unless an extension is requested and approved by the DSS.
3. The DSS will review all claims and issue RTO certificates to AHC between June-Sept, which these. must be forwarded onto investors within 90 days.
4. You can complete your tax return & claim the RTO from the ATO as soon as your certificate is received.
5. State governments pay their NRI contribution to AHC typically within a month of the RTO being approved.

​Where am I most at risk of jeopardising my incentive?
1.  Rent-setting:

• Property manager inexperience, poor training, or administrative errors due to sub-par compliance tracking/record keeping can see rent miscalculations slip through (exceeding the 80% threshold); errors left unaddressed often become irreconcilable.
• Valuations not complete or submitted within the required timeframe can also lead to rents being overcharged, or the property deemed non-compliant (until the next valuation is due). No incentive payments will be made for such periods deemed overcharged or non-compliant by DSS.

2.  Tenant Eligibility:

• Under-calculating new applicant(s) household income when they are in fact over an income threshold can lock you into a 12-month lease that receives nil incentive payments because the property is considered non-compliant.
• Prematurely renewing a lease agreement when the existing tenant(s) have exceeded the income threshold for a 2nd consecutive NRAS year can lead to a similar outcome.

3.  Failure to submit the annual statement of compliance by the due date of 30th of June each year.

My property was deemed non-compliant in the previous NRAS year – will this impact my N1920 incentive?
Please contact AHC to discuss further.