NRSCH

The national regulatory system for community housing

NRSCH compliance workshop

Join us for an online workshop from 9am-12pm on 4, 10 and 11 December 2024

Get prepared for your next NRSCH compliance. Hear tips from Registrars and peer organisations!

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland, Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory and Aboriginal Community Housing Industry Association NSW are co-hosting a 3-part online workshop for community housing organisations that already have, or are in the process of getting NRSCH registration.

Register here

3 reasons to join the regulatory system

Reasons to register under the national regulatory system for community housing (NRSCH):

1. Access government funding

Governments provide funding and subsidies to registered community housing providers (CHPs) – because registered CHPs are less of a risk of failing. You could talk with your funding agency to find out if your organisation needs to be registered.

2. Strengthen your organisation

CHPs who are registered say they are stronger in their management, their finances and their overall business as a result of the registration process and the policies and practices it requires.

3. Demonstrate that you are strong

Tenants and their advocates, including your organisation’s members, family, friends and the community notice that registered CHPs are improving their practices all the time, as they prepare for their compliance assessment.

Who can register – and the different tiers of providers

The regulatory system is open to any CHP or organisation that plans to provide community housing, as long as it is legally incorporated. It can be:

• a company limited by guarantee (registered with ASIC)
• an Indigenous corporation (registered with ORIC) or
• an association (registered with Licensing NT)

The process differs depending on the size and nature of the CHP’s operations:

• Tier 1 providers are the biggest. They have >350 tenancies and they build houses.
• Tier 2 providers manage 50–500 tenancies and are growing. They build houses but not all the time.
• Tier 3 providers are smallest. They manage <100 tenancies and may do occasional or one-off builds.

Registering and staying compliant

Organisations that manage large operations and take big financial risks as a developer of housing are required to provide the most evidence during registration and compliance checks.

Registering

During registration, the Registrar assesses an organisation’s capacity to meet the 7 performance standards of the National Regulatory Code. You can show you are ready by sharing your plans, policies and procedures. You need to show you can do the work.

Staying compliant

Periodically, every registered CHP is assessed again, in relation to the same 7 performance standards. This process is called a compliance check. At this stage the Registrar wants to know if the organisation’s plans, policies and procedures work in practice. For example, the Registrar will look at how long properties are vacant and why; the level of rent arrears, and the organisation’s financial performance. Compliance checks depend on operational data, and they invite the CHP to explain their performance. You need to show that your organisation has been doing the work.

CHPs in tiers 1 and 2 undergo a compliance check every year. For Tier 3 providers it’s every 2 years.

Download a printable version of the information on this page.