What is a rooming house?
A rooming house is a building where one or more rooms are available to rent, and four or more people in total can occupy those rooms.
What is a rooming house? [Consumer Affairs Victoria website].
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Temporary changes to Victoria’s laws on renting homes. Find out more
Advice is general in nature, consult a legal practitioner for your specific circumstances.
A rooming house is a building where one or more rooms are available to rent, and four or more people in total can occupy those rooms.
What is a rooming house? [Consumer Affairs Victoria website].
Before you sign, pay or move in, check if the rooming house operator is licensed:
Public register of rooming house operators [Consumer Affairs Victoria website]
Before you sign, pay or move in, check if the rooming house is registered:
Search registered rooming houses [Consumer Affairs Victoria website]
Check if the rooming house meets minimum standards:
Minimum standards in rooming houses [Consumer Affairs Victoria website]
A rooming house resident is a person who rents a room in a rooming house as their main or only residence.
Residential Tenancies Act 1997 – Section 3 Definitions: resident [AustLII website]
When you move into a rooming house it’s a good idea to sign a written agreement. This standard agreement includes the main legal rights and duties – what the resident must do and what the owner must do:
Rooming house residency agreement [Consumer Affairs Victoria website]
You do not need a tenancy agreement to live in a rooming house, but it is possible to have one. And if you do have a tenancy agreement, the laws and your rights may be a little different.
If you have a written agreement with a start date and end date (a fixed term), and you are not sure about your rights, contact us for advice.