Rooming houses

Changes were made to renting laws on 29 March 2021. This page will be updated soon to account for the new laws.

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.
Rooming house agreements [Consumer Affairs Victoria website].

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]

Rooming houses must meet minimum standards

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 (document) [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.

Breach of duty notices (rooming houses)
Eviction (rooming houses)
Notice to vacate (rooming houses)
Residents’ handbook (rooming houses)
Shared room rights (rooming houses)