Statement on remote rent framework

3 February 2026

The Northern Territory Government will bring a bill to the NT Parliament this week to amend the Housing Act 1982.

This follows a High Court of Australia decision on 3 December 2025 which found that the Remote Rent Framework introduced in February 2023 to be invalid.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Development, Steve Edgington said the NT Government respected the High Court’s decision and had been working to respond as quickly as possible.

“The NT Government has considered available options to address the issue in a way that is practical, fair, and able to be implemented quickly.

“The amendments to the Housing Act 1982 (the Act) will ensure that the Act can operate in the future as intended and will allow for government to effectively set rent for public housing tenants,” Mr Edgington said.

The amendments will be introduced and debated on urgency to ensure quick passage, assent and implementation.

Following the amendments to the Act, Government intends to set rent in remote public housing consistent with rent that tenants paid under the Remote Rent Framework. 

In light of the High Court decision, the Department will soon commence a process to calculate the rent that tenants were liable to pay since the implementation of the Remote Rent Framework and will repay amounts it has collected which exceed that liability.

The Department will work with stakeholders to develop a new remote rent model. It is intended that this new model will be in place by the end of 2026.

The Department is working to update remote tenants on the response to the High Court’s decision.

Media contact: Russel Guse - 0488 047 830