Received your posting order and yet to lock in a house?
When you or your partner have received your posting order, you can activate preview access through DHA online services to view homes in the new location.
When you submit a notice to vacate with DHA, or Pre-AFR (Application for Removal) with Toll, your current service residence will appear on Online Services (via the DHA website) so others can view it.
Some families like to be organised early, lodge their paperwork and are then disappointed when they log into Online Services only to discover there are no homes available in the new location.
If everyone is late submitting their AFRs, there are less homes which will appear vacant online, so it may take some time for vacant properties in the new location to appear in searches. The earlier you lodge your AFR and inventory the sooner your removal dates will be locked in and you can prepare for your relocation.
Service residences will be visible in a date bracket depending upon your posting date and removal. You can only lock in a house within 4-6 weeks of the SR’s ready date (4 weeks prior to 2 weeks after).
People often shift dates to see what other homes are available and try to reserve houses months in advance. If you shift your dates and reserve a house too far in advance, it is likely DHA will call you and advise that you are unable to reserve that far in advance.
Those houses will be needed for families posting into that location within the ready date. The website is a live site so it’s worthwhile checking on a regular basis to see if any new homes have become available in your timeframe. You can also ask for notifications to be sent when homes become available.
You may have heard about people locking in a home, only to lose it.
This may occur if the member currently in the home in the gaining location has their posting dates changed and are unable to vacate at that time, or sometimes a member or their family elect to go MWDU. Unfortunately these circumstances are outside the control of DHA and they will do their best to assist you in finding another home.
Sometimes there are simply no properties available in your posting location in your rent band, and it is necessary to apply for Rent Allowance (RA) and secure a home in the private rental market. RA must be approved by DHA before securing a rental property. All information regarding RA can be found on the DHA website.
If you have a family member with special needs, you need to ensure they are recognised by Defence, in order to receive any special considerations by DHA with regards to your housing solution. Special needs recognition is managed through DCO (Defence Community Organisation), and the Defence Special Needs Support Group (DSNSG) can also assist you with your application.
More information can be found on these websites:
www.defence.gov.au/DCO/family/kids/special-needs.asp
http://www.defence.gov.au/DCO/Military-life/Moving-relocation/before-during.asp