Members

Registered Accommodation
Association of Victoria

Promoting best practice in the private rooming house sector

RAAV'S Role in the Registered Accommodation Sector

RAAV is the peak  industry body that brings together privately owned and operated rooming houses in the registered accommodation rooming house sector. RAAV represents the views of its  members and creates a stronger, more cohesive and respected industry through the work with government departments, councils and other organisations. RAAV’s membership currently includes more than 120 members which represents close to half of the Registered Rooming Houses in Victoria. 

RAAV is an active voice on behalf of its members. The organisation’s core activity is to ensure minimum and acceptable standards in operating registered accommodation and promote application of best practice to raise the image and performance of all privately owned rooming houses. RAAV encourages private rooming house owners and operators to adopt Best Practice Guidelines to assist in the good conduct of business, to meeting their obligations and the well-being of residents in rooming houses and other registered accommodation. This activity is funded and approved by Consumer Affairs Victoria.

RAAV’S other core activities and benefits of joining include: 

  1. Helping RAAV members to understand the legislative requirements as promulgated by the Victorian Government in operating registered accommodation; 
  2. Providing information and assistance to the Government and Local Government in the operation of rooming houses; 
  3. Encouraging un-registered and un-licensed rooming house operators to adopt best Practice in their rooming houses and to seek registration and licensing. 
  4. Providing a website with training resources and current information along with a Facebook forum for members to discuss issues and obtain help from other members.
  5. RAAV also provides training where we conduct ZOOM training sessions specific topics as well as the on-line training modules that are available to members on our website under the Education section..
  6. Working behind the scenes with Consumer Affairs Victoria to ensure that whenever any amendments or additions are made to regulations or laws affecting rooming houses, that they are checked to ensure that Rooming House Operators are not unduly affected. An example of this was the submission and meetings we held with CAV on the changes to the Minimum Standards. RAAV was able to influence the decisions pull back on the some of the possible changes that were being considered that would have been very costly for rooming house operators.
  7. We also now have a relationship with an insurance broker that will provide insurance for RAAV members at a good rate and has capped his brokerage fees at $200 for RAAV members.

Membership is $140.00 plus GST per annum commencing 1st July 2023. Just click on the Apply Online button below under Membership Benefits.

RAAV'S Core Activities

  • Make RAAV members and the rooming house sector aware of the legislative requirements as promulgated by the Victorian Government in operating registered accommodation;
  • Promote Best Practice that raises the standards and image of privately owned and operated registered accommodation;
  • Provide a regular forum for members to network with rooming house stakeholders and rooming house operators;
  • Distribute information from Government and Local Government in operating rooming houses.
  • Liaise with government and prepare submissions to proposed legislation.

RAAV Membership Benefits

Membership entitles you to vote at RAAV's Annual General Meeting, stand for RAAV's Committee and receive RAAV's package of assistance. Associate membership is also available for persons considering commencing a rooming house.

RAAV's suite of services to members includes:

  • Promoting rooming house "Best Practice" to raise the standards and image of the private rooming house sector;
  • Providing a forum for rooming house operators and represent the views of members to Government;
  • Contributing to the Government's policy initiatives and producing submissions on matters affecting the rooming house sector;
  • Liaison with key stakeholders;
  • Creating a respected private Rooming House sector.
  • Providing other services to members including:
    • Being a central reference communication base on key issues that impact on private rooming houses;
    • Provide information on "Best Practice" and Government legislation
    • Conduct regular forums and information sessions;
    • Participate in Government forums;
    • Access to an interactive website with links to information on legislation, VCAT, Tenancy, Building, Business systems, case studies and assistance with services such as insurance;
    • Access to the current Best Practices Manual for Rooming House operators;
    • Access to on-line training modules for covering current legislation and best practices.
    • Information about special rates for products and services with related businesses, e.g. insurance for rooming houses;
    • Regular newsletters on key matters impacting on private rooming houses.

RAAV's Committee meets regularly to provide programs and develop policies for representation to Government and Local Government. RAAV's members contribute to these important functions for improving rooming house operations.

RAAV does not provide legal advice or undertake consultancy in relation to individual rooming houses.

Apply to RAAV online

RAAV 2024 AGM and Trade Day

The AGM and Trade Day will be held at the Amora Riverwalk hotel in Bridge Road Richmond. The AGM will commence at 9.30 and will be followed by a light lunch and the Trade Day in the afternoon in the large Event area.

Below is a list of the Trade Day Exhibitors.

Trade Day Exhibitors.docx

RAAV LAUNCHES ANOTHER TRAINING PROGRAM

A new set of on-line training modules have been completed and made available for RAAV members. RUNNING A BETTER ROOMING HOUSE: YOUR OBLIGATIONS provides more detail and explanation on sections from the RTA as well as introducing topics not covered in the first suite of training modules. 

Remember the first set of modules, RUNNING A BETTER ROOMING HOUSE: A BEST PRACTICE HANDBOOK FOR OPERATORS, provides a great opportunity for new rooming house operators to better understand how to get started and to run their rooming house more efficiently whilst complying with the legislation. But the modules also allow existing operators to refresh their knowledge.

2023 RAAV Annual General Meeting and Trade Day

WOW what a successful day!

Around 90 participants attended the 2023 RAAV AGM and Trade Day held at the Amora Event complex Richmond to hear the CEO Ross McKenry report on the years activities, Treasurer Bin Rong report on the years finances and elect a new committee. All existing Executive positions and general committee positions where filled by the current incumbent and the following new people were elected to the general committee - Colin Sherlock and Caroline Briers.

Speaking at the AGM were David Joyner from the Director Regulatory Services (CAV) and Geoff Kaandorp from Fire Rescue Victoria.

The inaugural Trade Day was a resounding success with 15 suppliers to the rooming house industry present to discuss products and services with the industry operators. 

Mark the 12th October, 2024 in your diary next year and make sure that you do not miss the 2024 RAAV AGM and guest presentations and the Trade Day which will be bigger and better in a larger event area at the Amora in Richmond.


RAAV Submission on Minimum Standards in Rooming Houses (Heating)

Introduction

RAAV appreciates the opportunity to respond to the proposed Residential Tenancies (Rooming House Standards) Regulations 2023 (the current Regulations), We have provided comment and information below to assist you in understanding our position on the proposed changes to the RHS.

In general, given the diverse nature of the cohort of residents that exist in rooming houses we see it as not desirable to implement inflexible directives on how rooming houses should be operated. While certain requirements may be advantageous to residents in one situation it may not be in another.   It is important to allow for differences in Rooming House operations and how they are set up.  This is easily understandable when you appreciate the different arrangements that exist between rooming houses, for example Shared and Self-contained rooming houses.  


RAAV submission to the heating minimum standards 06_24.pdf

Running a better rooming house: Your obligations as an operator - Chinese; Vietnamese; Hindi

In addition to the new English version of Running a better rooming house: Your Obligations as an operator, which is available to members in Programs of the Members section, RAAV has now produced this very useful manual in Chinese, Vietnamese and Hindi.

更好地经营分租房： 经营者义务 

बेहतर रूम िंग हाउस चलाना: रूम िंग हाउस ऑपरेटर (सिंचालक) के रूप ेंआपकेदामित 

Điều hành nhà trọ tập thể tốt hơn: Các bổn phận của quý vị với tư cách người điều hành 

These are available now.

Running a Better Rooming House: A best practice handbook for operators

RAAV has produced a fourth edition of the rooming house Best Practice Handbook which was distributed to all RAAV members. It is also available on line in the Members section of this website or by requesting a copy from RAAV.

Key rooming house operators and stakeholders have contributed to this new edition which includes special material on student accommodation, fire safety, dealing with mental illness, crime in rooming houses, as well as additional information on the existing material.

The Handbook has been welcomed as an easy-to-read 36 page publication which provides information and tips on operating a better rooming house.

The fourth edition of the Handbook contains the new Standards which were introduced in 2023 together with best practice tips for all the Standards. The Handbook also includes more information about health issues in rooming houses, safety and fire checks, international students in rooming houses, more about house rules, hoarding in rooming houses and tips from the police when dealing with aggressive behaviour.

The handbook also includes previous information about handling disputes, getting along with neighbours, the business of running a rooming house, developing a business plan (including a SWOT analysis), controlling maintenance costs and selecting and maintaining managers and residents.

The Handbook has been compiled from extensive research with rooming house operators and stakeholders and contains:

  1. Understanding rooming houses
  2. The business of running a rooming house
  3. Establishing a rooming house
  4. Rooming House Agreements
  5. Meeting your obligations
  6. Selecting and maintaining manager and residents
  7. Student accommodation in rooming houses
  8. Day to day management
  9. Handling disputes
  10. Helping residents access support services
  11. Useful contacts

The purpose of the Handbook is to:

  • help you improve your rooming house operations
  • encourage you to review your social and legal obligations
  • raise standards within the private rooming house sector
  • provide an incentive to increase the number of registered rooming houses in Victoria.

What’s New

  • Submission on heating minimum standard for rooming houses

    In response to the call by Consumer Affairs to make submissions on the new change to the rooming house minimum standards on heating, RAAV have made the following submission. RAAV have also been meeting with the Department of Government Services, a department of CAV, to fully understand the implications of the change to the minimum standard and ensuring that RAAV's view of the matter is understood.

    It is also important that members of RAAV make their own submissions before the 1st July.

    RAAV submission to the heating minimum standards 06_24.pdf

  • New On-line Training Modules

    Already available to members are six on-line modules based on the content of "Running a better rooming house: A best practice handbook for operators". This handbook is available on the website in the Programs section of the members area or by mail out to members by contacting Ross McKenry, CEO RAAV. The first two modules are available to all to access in the Education section of the website. The remaining four are only available to members.

    We now have the second series of on-line training modules available to members based on the on-line hand book "Running a better rooming house: Your obligations". These five modules are also to be found in the Education section of the members area.

  • 2023 AGM and Trade Day

    Photos of the 2023 AGM and RAAV Trade Day.

    2023 photos.pdf

  • Water price review 2023

    The Essential Services Commission called for submissions on water supply, pricing, environmental issues and other water related issues. RAAV was particularly concerned with the incline pricing block system that set one price for up to a certain water usage level per residential address and a higher rate for usage above that figure. A rooming house that has multiple residents will nearly always exceed the upper limit of the pricing block due to the number of residents. So regardless of what steps they take to reduce consumption, they will never achieve the lower pricing rate. RAAV argues that as a rooming house is a residential property made up of multiple residents, consideration should be made of the number of rooms  as they would if they were  individual apartments. We are asking for a different water pricing structure for rooming houses. Unfortunately this was rejected this time but we will continue to purse this request on behalf of all rooming houses. RAAV submission on water pricing May 2023

  • Inquiry into the rental and housing affordability crisis in Victoria

    RAAV has made a submission to the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into the rental and housing affordability crisis in Victoria. A copy of the submission can be found here. RAAV submission rental crisis

  • On-Line Training for RAAV memebrs

    We now have six E-Learning modules available for you to work through whenever you choose to and as often as you like. The six modules cover the "Running a better rooming house: A best practice handbook for operators". 

    I hope that you find this type of learning more effective and I would appreciate your feedback on the use of the modules. 

    You will find the modules on the Education page of the Members section.

  • Newsletters

    A new section called Newsletters has been added to the website and here you will find all of the newsletters that have been distributed to RAAV members.

  • New Handbooks

    Two new handbooks have been released for your information

    1. Running a better rooming house: Your Obligations - contains updates of the latest version of the RTA plus many links to Consumer Affairs Victoria website. This can be found in the Programs section of the Members area in multiple languages.

    2. Running a better rooming house: A best practice handbook for operators - Fourth edition of this informative handbook. Hard copies have been sent to all members and the soft copy can be found in the Programs section of the Members area updated with the 2023 changes to the Minimum Standards.

  • RAAV communications

    For many of the communications sent to RAAV members from me ie Newsletters; AGM invitations; Useful information; new resources etc., I am using a system called Mailchimp to simplify mass mail outs. However it seems that some members are not receiving these messages because the security on their computers is putting the message into the SPAM folder. Could you please check your spam folder to find past messages then add ceo@raav.org.au to your contacts list so hopefully it will not continue to happen.

  • RAAV arranges competitive insurance for rooming houses

    RAAV has been actively negotiating competitive insurance rates for rooming houses for its members. 


    Read More

  • RAAV 2022 AGM

    A very successful Annual General Meeting was conducted today (Saturday 29th October).

    Read more

  • Zoom Sessions: RTA Changes

    Did you miss the zoom sessions on the changes to the RTA? You will find the recordings under Education

  • RAAV Members Section

    Members-only section of the RAAV website with helpful information and materials.

    Become a member

  • Fire Safety in Rooming Houses

    An e-learning module for you and your residents.

    Read more

  • Covid Safe Plan Template and Guidance

    Read the latest advice to preparing your Covid Safe Plan using our documentation and template:

    Covid Safe Plan Template | Covid Safe Plan Guidance

    You can also watch our Covid Webinar Session.