Licensing & Registration

Rooming House Licensing Introduced

A new rooming house operators licensing scheme, established under the Rooming House Operators Act 2016, came into effect on 26 April 2017. All existing rooming house operators (except those that are registered housing associations or housing providers) must apply for a license by 24 August 2017 in order to continue to legally operate their rooming house(s).

The Consumer Affairs Victoria website provides more information on the rooming house licensing scheme, as well as licensing and registration requirements for rooming house operators 

There are multiple languages available. You need to click on the drop down list on the top right of the web page.

Access the following link for a summary of the key matters covered by the licensing scheme:

Key Matters Summary

Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) conducted information sessions for rooming house / boarding house operators on April 1 and April 5 2017 to explain the new licensing requirements. CAV's slides which were used during the presentations are attached below. Please click below to download these slides.

CAV Presentation

RAAV's video comments on important rooming house licensing questions

RAAV has produced a video which comments on some important questions raised by members about the Rooming House Operators Act (2016). The video uses a relaxed "fire side chat" format by two of RAAV's Committee members.

Reporting Unlicensed and Unregistered Rooming Houses

As a registered and licensed rooming house you are compelled to comply with all of the regulations outlined in the RTA and Minimum Standards which can often amount to an extra cost for you. If there are rooming houses close by that are not licensed or registered you are at a competitive disadvantage to them when they do not have the same level of expense to comply with relevant legislation. 

Also it is often these unregistered/unlicensed rooming houses that are in very poor shape and are badly operated which is giving the industry a bad name. 

Therefore, it is in your interest to report these illegal rooming houses so that they can be forced to comply or shut down. Attached here for you is a form that can be used to report illegal rooming houses. Simply fill out what you can, save it then forward to me at ceo@raav.org.au and I will ensure it gets to the right source for further action. 

Illegal rooming house reporting form

You can contact me for any queries you may have on lodging this form.

Ross McKenry

CEO RAAV

0499090101; ceo@raav.org.au