Rooming house - minimum standards

Bathrooms

A door to a shared bathroom or toilet must be fitted with a privacy latch that can be securely latched from the inside without a key.

From 26 February 2024, a door to a shared bathroom or toilet must be fitted with a bolt or catch that can be securely latched from the inside without a key. The bolt or catch must be installed by a suitably qualified person. If one cannot be installed, for example because the cost of installation would be higher than the average cost of installation in a similar class of building, or if the owners corporation prohibit installation of the bolt or catch, then the door must be fitted with a privacy latch which can be securely latched from inside without the use of a key.

For example, a cabin hook or similar does not meet the minimum standard.

From 26 February 2024, if the rooming house has a shower present must be in good working order and must have a shower head with a 3-star water efficiency rating or higher. If one cannot be installed, for example because of the property’s age, then a shower head with a 1- or 2-star rating is acceptable.

Dining facilities

In dining facilities in each resident’s room or a shared common area, there must be:

• enough chairs to accommodate the maximum number of residents that can occupy a resident’s room. For example, if the room with the most occupants has three residents, the dining room must have three chairs.
• one or more tables that can comfortably fit this number of chairs. For example, a dining table can be a benchtop along as it large enough to accommodate the number of chairs required above, and is not a benchtop used for food preparation.

Kitchens

Each resident must have access to and use of food preparation facilities. These can be provided in the resident’s room or as a shared kitchen.

If these facilities are in a resident’s room, they must include a:

• food preparation area
• sink
• oven and cook-top in good working order
• refrigerator with at least 80 litres capacity
• cupboard with a minimum 0.1 cubic metres (100 litres) of storage capacity.

A shared kitchen must have a:

• food preparation area
• sink
• an oven and a cook-top with four burners in good working order for every 12 or fewer residents who do not have an oven or cook-top in their room
• refrigerator with at least 400 litres capacity
• a lockable cupboard for each resident, with a minimum 0.1 cubic metres (100 litres) of storage capacity.

From 26 February 2024, the above minimum standards will apply along with the below additional requirements:

• food preparation areas must be used solely for food preparation
• an additional 28·5 litre capacity for each additional resident who have not been provided a refrigerator in their room, based on the maximum number of residents that the rooming house can accommodate in a common area.

Residents’ rooms

In a resident’s room, the following standards must be met:

• Any door used to enter or exit from a resident’s room must be fitted with a lock that is operated by a key from the outside and can be unlocked from inside without a key.
• A key can include a device such as an electronic key fob and information used to operate a lock such as a personal identification number (PIN) code.
• A resident’s room must have at least two power outlets in working order. From 26 February 2024, these power outlets must be freely available for use by the resident and are in addition to any other power outlets already used to power amenities by the rooming house operator. The installation of any power outlets must be done by a suitably licensed or qualified electrician.
• Windows in a resident’s room must have a covering that provides privacy and can be opened and closed by the resident. From 26 February 2025, a window in a resident’s room must be fitted with a window covering that also reasonably blocks light.

Shared laundries

Rooming house operators must provide shared laundry facilities that are in good working order for every 12 or fewer residents. There must be one set of the following communal laundry facilities:

• a wash trough or basin connected to a continuous and adequate supply of hot and cold water
• space with hot and cold water supply outlets suitable for a washing machine immediately next to the trough or basin
• a clothesline or other clothes drying facility.

From 26 February 2024, the rooming house operator must also provide one washing machine, that is in good working order, for every 12 or fewer residents.

General minimum standards

These include:

• An evacuation diagram that complies with section 3.5 and Appendix E of AS 3745 must be prominently displayed in each resident’s room and in all shared areas. Download an example evacuation diagram (Word, 592KB). The rooming house operator must ensure that your diagram is compliant.
• Inside rooms, corridors and hallways must have a level of natural or artificial light appropriate to the function and use of the room.
• Habitable rooms must have access to natural light during daylight hours, and artificial light during non-daylight hours, appropriate to the function and use of the room.
• Habitable rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms, toilets and laundries must have ventilation that complies with the relevant Building Code of Australia (see section 18 of the Regulations).
• All gas installations, fixtures or fittings must be checked at least once every two years by a licensed gas fitter.
• All electrical installations, fixtures and fittings provided by the rooming house operator must be checked at least once every two years by a licensed electrician.
• All power outlets and electrical circuits must be connected to circuit breakers that comply with AS/NZS 3000 and switchboard-type residual current devices that comply with AS/NZS 3190, AS/NZS 61008.1 or AS/NZS 61009.1.
• Each external window that can be opened must be able to be securely closed or opened without a key.
  • In addition to the above, from 26 February 2024, each external window that can be opened must also have a functioning latch, with or without a key, that secures the window against external entry.
• Each rooming house entrance must have a lock operated by a key from outside and without a key from inside. A key can include a device such as an electronic key fob and information used to operate a lock such as a personal identification number (PIN) code.
• The main entry must have a window, peep-hole or intercom system, and a working external light that provides enough light during non-daylight hours to provide for safe access and screening visitors to the rooming house.
• A rooming house must be structurally sound and weatherproof.
• A rooming house must also be free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure.

From 26 February 2024, general minimum standards for rooming houses must also include:

• Any habitable room that is likely to be used as a living area, must be fitted with an internal window covering that reasonably blocks light and is one that is usually installed in a domestic household.
• All corded internal window coverings in a rooming house that have loose cords, must have the cord secured to a wall by a cord guide or a cleat. You can order a free curtain and blind cord safety kit from us.

For more information, view Rooming house operators: meeting your gas and electrical safety obligations.