Help for community services
Advice or support for community service workers assisting tenants.
Advice or support for community service workers assisting tenants.
rooming houses
Rooming houses and rooming house residents
rooming house: a building where one or more rooms are available to rent, and four or more people in total can occupy those rooms. See: What is a rooming house? (Consumer Affairs website).
rooming house resident: a person who rents a room in a rooming house as their only or main residence.
A resident does not need to have a tenancy agreement to live in a rooming house.
If you have a written agreement with a start date and end date (a fixed term), contact us for advice.
Information for rooming house residents in Victoria.
Rooming House Residents’ Handbook
Rooming house operators must have a license. 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)
Rooming houses must be registered. 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)
It’s a good idea to sign a written agreement when you move into a rooming house.
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)
need more help?
If you live in a rooming house and you need information or advice call us on 9411 1444 and ask for Outreach. Or leave a message and the Outreach worker will contact you. We are closed weekends and public holidays.
