Board

Board is an arrangement where a person pays a set amount that includes the cost of residing at the premises along with food and may include other costs such as power, water, and internet.

When a person pays board, 62% of their total payment is considered to be their accommodation cost.

A person is considered to be a boarder when they are:

making payments for their accommodation and food for residing at the premises and
the accommodation cost can't be separately identified as part of the amount they pay

living in a commercial boarding house and the amount they pay for residing at the premises includes accommodation and food costs.

Accommodation costs include food

A person is considered to be a boarder when the amount paid for their accommodation also includes food, and potentially other costs, and the accommodation cost cannot be separately identified as part of the amount they pay.

Joint tenants with shared food costs

Sometimes joint tenants, for example flatmates, will contribute money to cover shared costs. This could include cleaning suppliers, groceries, and service costs (e.g. power and internet).

When these costs are shared among all tenants, this is not board.

Note a client does not have to have their name on a tenancy agreement to be considered renting.

For more information see:

Accommodation costs include service costs and water rates

Accommodation costs can sometimes include service costs and water rates. For boarders, these costs are not separated out from the amount they pay for their accommodation and 62% of their total payment will be their accommodation costs.

Additional occupant living in a social housing property

Additional occupants may pay a contribution towards accommodation costs while living in the social housing property.

The contribution amount may include food and sometimes other costs. Whether it includes food (and/or other costs) or not, the contribution is always considered board for the purpose of calculating Accommodation Supplement.

This means that only 62% of the additional occupant's contribution can be considered as their allowable accommodation cost even if it does not include food (and/or other costs).

Note an applicable person who is living in a property owned or managed by a social housing provider cannot receive Accommodation Supplement.

Living in a commercial boarding house

If a person lives in a boarding house, and the amount they pay for their accommodation includes food, MSD will consider them a boarder. However, if the amount they pay does not include food, MSD will consider them a renter.