How We Are Funded

The vast majority of our funding comes from tenants' money through the Office of Rental Bonds (ORB).  When tenants lodge their bonds this money is held in trust by ORB.  The ORB is a statutory authority.  The Residential Tenancies Act requires that the money is held in a special account.  The interest earned on tenants' money is used to fund the ORB (tenants funds are not used at all), the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (so tenants already pay for operation of the ACAT), and to the TU to operate the advice service and provide other assistance to ACT tenants and occupants. Our funding is managed through the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

The TU also occasionally receives grants for specific projects from a variety of funding sources.  Our membership rates are very low in order to encourage people to support us by joining and the small amount of membership funds are used towards the activities noted above.