Notifiable events and incidents for community housing

Under the Housing Act 2003, registered providers and state providers of community housing must notify the Registrar if certain events or incidents occur that:

  • damage, or could damage, the community housing sector's reputation
  • may affect an organisation's ability to meet their conditions of registration.

Notifiable events or incidents

This list contains events that are notifiable under Schedule 3, part 1, section 6 of the Housing Act 2003 and the time frame for notifying the Registrar:

Notifiable event or incident Time frame for notification
A decision to appoint a voluntary administrator to the provider As soon as practicable after the decision
A decision to wind-up the provider As soon as practicable after the decision
The appointment of a receiver to the provider As soon as practicable after the provider learns of the receiver's appointment
A decision to apply for cancellation of the provider's registration on the national register As soon as practicable after the decision and at least 28 days before the day the application is made
A decision to conduct a vote at a meeting on a matter that may affect the provider's eligibility to remain registered on the national register or the category of the provider's registration As soon as practicable after the decision and at least 28 days before the day the meeting is held
A change in the provider's affairs that may affect its compliance with the Housing Act 2003 of the corresponding law of another participating jurisdiction Before the change or within 3 days after the change
Any other event for which the Registrar gives the provider notice Within the time stated in the notice

Defining a notifiable incident or event

Providers often need to decide what incidents or events to notify us about.

To help you make that decision, here are some examples that we consider notifiable:

  • serious or repeated instances of fraud, corruption or criminal conduct
  • any instances of serious or repeated breaches of the provider's code of conduct
  • the removal of governing body members or senior staff
  • the resignation of the chief executive officer or equivalent or senior staff member for non-personal reasons
  • the dismissal of the chief executive officer or financial officer
  • the investigation of the provider by external agencies such as funding bodies, law enforcement bodies, or integrity agencies
  • proceedings in a court or tribunal against the provider
  • significant crimes committed or alleged committed in community housing property
  • any matter that has adversely affected or may adversely affect the financial viability of the provider
  • any breach or potential breach notices received from external agencies
  • any adverse media coverage or potential adverse media coverage about the provider.

This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure whether to notify about an incident or event, contact your primary analyst or the Registrar.

Time frame

After the incident or event occurs, you should notify the Registrar as soon as possible (i.e. no later than 3 days).

Don't delay notification until after the next governing body meeting. The Registrar needs enough time to consider and determine whether to take regulatory action.

Procedure for notification

Registered providers must develop a procedure to manage these notification requirements.

The procedure should be suitable for the scale and scope of the organisation and implications of the notifiable incident.

Notify the Registrar of any incident in writing and include details about:

  • the incident, including when it happened or is going to happen
  • the people involved
  • the action you've taken or plan to take
  • the contact details of the person responsible for managing your response to the incident
  • whether you've notified any other regulators or external agencies, and details of any notification.

How to notify

National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH) providers can notify the Registrar using the online form.

For more information, contact us via:

  • Last reviewed: 4 Jun 2020
  • Last updated: 28 Nov 2024