A new remote rental scheme developed by the Territory Government for Territorians living in public housing will see rental rates increase by more than $200 a week in some cases.

Property experts said that the government’s new rental scheme cancels income-based rental settings for all remote public housing properties and introduces pricing schemes – regardless of the home’s age or condition – causing about two-thirds of tenants to pay more to continue living in their homes.

The changes, some said, will mean remote Territory tenants will become the only public housing renters in Australia whose rent is not related to income. Residents in remote areas rely on public housing as there is no private market for homes.

Currently, the Territory faces the highest rate of housing overcrowding in Australia, resulting in both federal and NT governments funding the shortfall.

The Northern Land Council said the NT government failed to satisfactorily justify the rent increases on its supposedly simpler and fairer new rental rule.

“The new model does not mirror what was proposed in 2018, particularly the increase in charges per bedroom,” a spokesperson for the council said in a statement, adding that “the justification for the rent increase has not been widely consulted.”

Tenants from remote areas affected by the new government rule said that they were not properly consulted and have only received a letter from the NT’s housing department informing them of the revised rental scheme and that they have to pay more.

The NT Housing Department told the ABC the new scheme included a “safety net” for Territorians suffering from rental difficulties, but did not explain how anyone accessed it. The department also said that tenancy officers went door-to-door across more than 80 communities, informing tenants of the government’s new rental scheme.