The Housing Authority operates within the Department of Communities (Communities).
Communities provides accommodation for government employees via its Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) Program.
To meet ever increasing demand for government employee housing, Communities forms partnerships with the private sector. These include:
- Property owners who lease to Communities
- Real estate agents who source properties to sell and or lease to Communities
- Builders and developers who construct properties for Communities
- To discuss leasing an existing property or constructing a property to sell / lease to Communities, please contact Communities GROH Capital Planning and Projects team on 0478 274 735 or 0468 573 060 or email groheoi@communities.wa.gov.au.
What type of housing is needed?
- GROH accommodation is provided in over 250 locations throughout the state. Additional housing is required in most places, especially in the North-West.
- Housing for Government employees must meet certain standards. Please read the design specifications for more information.
- At a minimum, properties must be fully established with:
- Car accommodation
- Easy care gardens, with an enclosed yard
- Utilities, phone and television connections
- Light fittings, floor and window treatments
- Appropriate security and adequate storage
- Appropriate climate control features (as per requirements under government policy).
How do I lease my property to Communities?
Approximately half of the properties used for Government employee housing are leased from the private market. If you are interested in leasing your established property to Communities, please contact your local Communities Housing office.
How does it work?
The property owner / investor leases the property to Communities for the GROH program. These properties are used exclusively for government employee housing and will not be occupied by any other kind of tenant without your approval.
The term of the lease can be short, medium or long (e.g. one to five years) depending on the demand for housing in the area and your personal requirements. Once the agreement is signed, the property owner receives rent every month for the duration of the lease. As with a standard lease, the property owner is responsible for rates and maintenance costs (except tenant liability issues).
Communities leases the properties to Government agencies that require housing for their employees. The agency pays the full rent to Communities, and sub-leases to their employee at a reduced rate.
- GROH accommodation is provided in over 250 locations throughout the state. Additional housing is required in most places, especially in the North-West.
- Housing for Government employees must meet certain standards. Please read the design specifications for more information.
- At a minimum, properties must be fully established with:
- Car accommodation
- Easy care gardens, with an enclosed yard
- Utilities, phone and television connections
- Light fittings, floor and window treatments
- Appropriate security and adequate storage
- Appropriate climate control features (as per requirements under government policy).
What are the benefits of leasing to the GROH Program?
Guaranteed rental income
- GROH will guarantee your rental income for the duration of the lease, even if the property is vacant.
- This is not possible when leasing in the private market, and can account for a significant amount of lost rental income and yearly profit.
- GROH’s long term leases guarantee the investor will have a steady income 52 weeks a year, year after year.
Reduced costs
- Leasing a property through real estate agents incurs fees whenever tenants move in and out. In contrast, GROH manages tenant movements at no charge to the investor.
No fear of bad debts and non-payment
- A property investor’s biggest nightmare is the tenant who falls badly behind in their rent or leaves without paying. GROH guarantees to pay the rent to the investor in advance of every month without fail.
Investing in your community
- Providing GROH with quality properties contributes to the continuation of essential services and can have numerous benefits for the community
- GROH’s leasing options are designed to encourage the supply of properties across WA, including areas where many investors would generally not consider buying an investment property due to economic factors.
More information
For more information, please visit our GROH page.
