A rooming house operator will lose his licence after he was found guilty of offences under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and its regulations.
In October 2017, Consumer Affairs Victoria was advised by the City of Monash that Muralietharan Varadharajah, 53, of Point Cook, had committed the offences as the operator of four rooming houses in Clayton and Glen Waverley.
As the offences are ‘disqualifying offences’ under the Rooming House Operators Act 2016, our Director applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to cancel Mr Varadharajah’s licence. VCAT accepted that it was necessary to do so.
The licence cancellation will come into effect from 9 March 2018. Three of the rooming houses have already closed down. Mr Varadharajah must notify residents of the remaining rooming house within 14 days of the tribunal’s order that it will close by 9 March 2018.
Rooming house operators must be licensed with the Business Licensing Authority and registered with their local council.
VCAT made the orders on 8 November 2017.