Advocacy Supporting Rooming House Improvements

Knox City Council is advocating to the Victorian Government for improvements in the design, funding and operation of rooming houses, along with improved local government and community input as part of the planning process.

Rooming houses play an important role in Victoria's housing system, often accommodating vulnerable residents. They are provided by government, not-for-profit and private operators and are primarily regulated under a complex state regulatory framework involving multiple agencies.

A Notice of Motion adopted by Council at the January 2026 Council Meeting advocates to the Victorian Government to:

1. Strengthen minimum standards and resident protections for rooming houses, including:
   1. Improved safety, amenity and liveability standards for tenants;
   2. Stronger enforcement mechanisms and penalties for non-compliance by operators;
   3. Enhanced protections for residents relating to privacy, security of tenure, rent setting and eviction processes; and
   4. More proactive and regular compliance inspections, rather than reliance on complaints-based enforcement
2. Improve local government input into existing planning controls, including reforms to the Victoria Planning Provisions to require planning permits for all rooming houses, not just those above a defined scale or impact threshold, along with stronger community consultation and appeal rights in relation to new or expanded rooming house developments.
3. Increased funding and support for rooming house regulation, including:
   1. State funded regional managers to monitor privately owned rooming houses across the state at no cost to tenants, to ensure improved management and tenant welfare;
   2. Training and workforce support for local government compliance officers;
   3. Improved coordination to address unregistered and/or unsafe rooming houses;
   4. Improved funding for wrap-around support services for rooming house residents; and
   5. Work with well managed rooming houses to promote broader affordable housing and homelessness strategies.

Acknowledging that rooming houses are an important entry to secure housing for many tenants, ensuring wrap-around services are adequately provided is essential.

Council is looking forward to speaking with relevant state ministers about how these important improvements could be introduced.