Question 1

At what point does my home count as a rooming house in Victoria?

Accepted Answer

The magic number is four. Once four or more people are living in rented rooms under one roof, sharing some of the facilities, Victoria sees it as a rooming house. Residents usually sign their own separate agreements with an operator who runs the place. A share house is different: everyone signs the one agreement together.

If you are sketching a home with four or more private suites, it pays to design around the rooming house rules from day one.

Question 2

Does "co-living" mean something different in the eyes of the law?

Accepted Answer

"Rooming house" is the legal term in Victoria. Consumer Affairs Victoria describes it as a building where four or more people can live in rented rooms, some of which might be shared. The Victoria Planning Provisions use the same term and tie it to the definition in the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. "Co-living" describes the lifestyle, but what counts legally is how many people can live in rented rooms, not what the home is called.

A home planned for this from the start is a much smoother path than an older house converted later.

Question 3

Who runs the home day to day, and who keeps an eye on them?

Accepted Answer

A licensed rooming house operator runs it. That can be a specialist property manager who holds the operator licence, so the day-to-day is in experienced hands. Enable is a builder, so we do not manage homes, but we are happy to introduce you to experienced rooming house managers.

The operator is overseen by three bodies:

Your local council registers the building and can inspect it against the public health and wellbeing standards.
Consumer Affairs Victoria looks after the minimum standards for rooms and shared areas.
The Business Licensing Authority decides who can hold a rooming house operator licence.

Whether you hold the licence yourself or hand the operating to a licensed manager depends on how you set up ownership, so it is worth your own legal advice.

Question 4

Is the operator licence something I need to hold myself?

Accepted Answer

Not always. The licence is held by whoever operates the rooming house, whether that is a person or a company, and it must be in place before the doors open. It runs for three years and sits alongside the council registration of the building.

A few handy details:

A manager you bring on does not need a separate licence, though they are assessed as part of the operator's application.
If you own the building and lease it to a separate operator, the licence is theirs, not yours.
One licence can cover several properties.

Because the way you own and operate the property shapes all of this, it is worth a chat with your own legal adviser before you build.

Question 5

What does each room and shared space need to have?

Accepted Answer

The minimum standards focus on privacy, security, safety and comfort. Some of the key ones:

A lock on each resident's room that works by key or code from the outside and opens from the inside without a key.
At least two working power outlets in each room, kept free for the resident's own use.
Window coverings that give privacy and reasonably block light.
Shared kitchens sized for the number of residents, for example an oven and four-burner cooktop for every 12 or fewer residents who do not have their own.
A shared laundry, including a washing machine, for every 12 or fewer residents.
A fire evacuation diagram displayed in each resident's room and in the shared areas.
A lock on the main entry, plus a window, peephole or intercom and a working outside light.
Gas and electrical safety checks every two years.

New from 13 October 2026: operators must keep records showing the property meets these standards, and hand them to Consumer Affairs Victoria if asked.

This is a sample, not the full list. Rules can change over time, and we may not always have the most up-to-date information on this page, so please check the current standards on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website:

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/repairs-alterations-safety-and-pets/minimum-standards/rooming-house-minimum-standards

Designing for these from the very start means they are built in, not bolted on later.

Question 6

Where does finance fit in, and who should I speak to first?

Accepted Answer

Not every lender or finance broker knows this space well, and that can affect the lending outcome for a rooming house. It is worth speaking to a specialist before you sign anything.

We are builders, so we do not get involved in lending or give finance advice. What we do have is plenty of feedback, good and not so good, from clients who have built with us. Some of them have shared the contact details of finance specialists who know this space, and we are happy to share them to help point you in the right direction.

Co-living in Melbourne: your questions answered

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Co-living in Melbourne: your questions answered

1.At what point does my home count as a rooming house in Victoria?

2.Does "co-living" mean something different in the eyes of the law?

3.Who runs the home day to day, and who keeps an eye on them?

4.Is the operator licence something I need to hold myself?

5.What does each room and shared space need to have?

6.Where does finance fit in, and who should I speak to first?

Have a backyard, a block of land or an investment property that could work harder?

Send an Enquiry