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Rooming houses

Special laws apply to the residents of rooming houses, or boarding houses, where residents share facilities like kitchens and bathrooms and only rent one room for themselves.

These laws are set out in a booklet called Rooming houses: a guide for residents, owners and managers. Rooming house owners must give a copy of this guide to residents on or before the day they move in. The guide is also available on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website (link below).

There are rules and regulations about the running of a rooming house, including bond lodgement, condition reports, rent receipts, owner duties, house rules, repairs and privacy. Rooming house owners can be fined for not meeting their obligations.

Rooming house residents can be given a 'Notice for Breach of Duty' if they breach any of their duties. Residents’ duties include observing the house rules, keeping their room clean, and not damaging the room or rooming house.

More information

Rooming houses – frequently asked questions

Housing complaints

Housing – frequently asked questions

How we can help

Call Victoria Legal Aid’s (VLA) Legal Information Service for free information over the phone about the law and how we can help you with your legal problem. You can speak to a legal information officer in English or ask for an interpreter. Phone (03) 9269 0120 or 1800 677 402 (country callers), Monday to Friday from 8.45 am to 5.15 pm.

VLA’s other free legal services include:

  • advice at VLA offices and other locations across Victoria
  • lawyers who are on ‘duty’ to help at many courts and tribunals.

For some matters we can provide you with a lawyer to help you run your case.

To find out more about any of our legal services see What we do.

Who else can help?

The Tenants Union of Victoria (new window) provides advice, assistance and advocacy for tenants of private and public residential properties and residents of rooming houses and caravan parks in Victoria.

The Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) website (new window) has information for rooming house residents, owners and managers. You can also call CAV on 1300 558 181 (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday).

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria has a free telephone service that will work with you to try to resolve your dispute. The centre will talk about your problem with you, discuss options, suggest negotiation strategies and organise mediation, if required.

Call (03) 9603 8370 or 1800 658 528 (country callers). You can also use the self-help tool on the disputeinfo website (new window).

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s Residential Tenancies List (new window) can try to solve disputes between landlords/agents and tenants.