Answering: Since 13 October 2026, what must a Victorian rooming-house operator keep, who keeps it, and how do the owner, operator and manager roles divide?
Estimated reading time: 12 min read
Since 13 October 2026, every Victorian rooming house operator must keep records sufficient to show the property meets the rooming-house minimum standards, and give them to Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) on request. That duty sits with the licensed operator, so if an investment cannot tell you who the operator is and who keeps the records, the arrangement is not finished.
Owner, operator and manager can be three different parties on one nine-room property. The law gives each a different job, and the paperwork has to say who does what.
For The Harmony Group, the rooming-house regime is part of the design brief for every nine-bed, so the ongoing duties are planned before residents arrive. The three approvals that come first are covered in our September guide to licences, council registration and Class 1b.
Key Insights
- From 13 October 2026: records showing the minimum standards are met, produced to CAV on request.
- The same date brought new bond lodgement and bond claims rules for operators.
- The register of residents is kept for at least 12 months after its last entry.
- The operator holds the licence; a manager is assessed on it but needs none.
- An owner who is not the operator still has a duty to notify council.
Table of Contents
- What changed on 13 October 2026
- The ongoing record set, item by item
- Owner, operator and manager: how the duties divide
- Who comes asking for the records
- The duties that start the day a resident moves in
- Where The Harmony Group fits
- Frequently asked questions about rooming house operator duties
- Learn how the asset is run before you own one
What changed on 13 October 2026
CAV’s guidance for operators, updated on 14 October 2026, says that from 13 October 2026 all rooming house operators must “keep records sufficient to show a property meets the rooming house minimum standards” and “follow new bond lodgement and bond claims rules”.
The minimum-standards page adds what the records are about: operators “must keep records that show the property meets the minimum standards for the provision of a room, facility, services and common areas”, and “must provide these records to Consumer Affairs Victoria if requested”.
CAV’s pages describe what the records must show rather than a set form. The standards themselves suggest what a record has to evidence. Some are one-off installations, such as a fixed heater in each resident’s room (required since 1 December 2025) or an evacuation diagram complying with AS 3745 displayed in each resident’s room and shared area. Others recur: gas installations “must be checked at least once every two years by a licensed gas fitter”, and electrical installations at the same interval by a licensed electrician. A practical file keeps the invoice, certificate or dated photo for each item, so the evidence exists before anyone asks for it.
The bond change runs alongside. A resident may now choose to pay the bond directly to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). If the resident pays the operator instead, CAV says the operator must start the lodgement on the RTBA website “within 10 business days of receiving the bond money”. The bond itself must not be more than 14 days’ rent, or 28 days’ rent on a fixed-term rooming house agreement.
The ongoing record set, item by item
The 13 October duty adds to records operators already had to keep. Read together, CAV’s pages describe this set.
| Record | What CAV says | Kept by | How long, or when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum-standards compliance records | Records that show the property meets the minimum standards | Operator | From 13 October 2026; to CAV on request |
| Register of residents | Each resident’s name, future address, arrival and departure dates | Operator | At least 12 months after the last entry |
| Rent receipts | Provided on time to residents | Operator | At least 12 months |
| Essential safety measures | Maintenance records and the current essential safety measures report | Operator | Likely to be requested at inspection |
| Gas and electrical checks | Licensed gas fitter and licensed electrician | Operator | At least once every two years |
| Condition report | Completed, signed and given to the resident | Operator | At the start of each residency |
| Bond lodgement | Lodged with the RTBA; receipt kept | Operator | Within 10 business days if paid to the operator |
| Exemption approval | Record of any exemption from a standard | Operator | Whenever an exemption is granted |
Two items sit on the wall rather than in a file. The operator “must display a copy of your licence in a conspicuous place inside the front entrance to each rooming house you operate”, and the statement of residents’ rights and duties and the house rules are displayed in each resident’s room.
CAV is plain about the consequence: “Operators face penalties if they do not keep adequate records.”
Owner, operator and manager: how the duties divide
On a nine-room investment property, the person who owns the land is not always the person who runs the rooming house. CAV’s definitions keep the roles apart.
The operator. “A rooming house operator runs a rooming house as a business, from premises the operator either owns or leases from someone else.” The operator can be an individual or a company, must be licensed by the Business Licensing Authority before operating, and carries the record-keeping duties in the table above. CAV’s apply-for-a-licence page describes the licence as “ongoing unless cancelled”, issued “for 3 years, in the first instance”, and adds: “Once you are licensed, you must notify the BLA of any change to your licence details.”
The manager. A manager is someone engaged by the operator for day-to-day management, which CAV says “can include negotiating residency agreements, giving notices to residents, and receiving rent payments”. A manager does not need a licence but is a “relevant person” on the operator’s licence and must meet the same fit and proper person test. If an estate agency manages the leasing, CAV treats it as a managing agent: the operator still needs the licence, and the agency staff who take part are relevant persons. Caretaking duties alone do not make someone a manager.
The owner. If the owner does not operate the property, the owner’s statutory duty is narrower but real. CAV says building owners must notify the local council if they have reason to believe, or should know, that a building they own is being used as an unregistered rooming house. Failing to do so is an offence carrying 60 penalty units.
Because CAV’s pages put the records on the operator, the agreements between owner, operator and manager should say who arranges each check, who pays for it, where the evidence is filed, and who answers when CAV or council asks. A gap in that paperwork becomes a gap in the records.
Residents also need to know who to call. Before or on the day a resident moves in, the operator must give them its full name, address and an emergency telephone number, and the agent’s name and address if an agent is employed, and must tell residents of any change within seven days.
Who comes asking for the records
Four kinds of inspection can reach a rooming house, according to CAV:
- Council. A rooming house “will initially be inspected by an authorised officer from the local council”.
- CAV officers. They may check that the operator is licensed, that any bond has been lodged with the RTBA, and that the property meets minimum standards.
- Health. An environmental health officer may look at “the register of residents”, “the number of bathrooms”, “general hygiene” and “room size”, among other things.
- Building and fire safety. A municipal or private building surveyor, or the fire services, may inspect, and essential safety measures records are likely to be requested.
Each inspector can ask for something different. An operator who keeps one organised file per property can answer all four.
The duties that start the day a resident moves in
Records are the evidence. The duties they evidence begin with each new resident:
- Give the resident the Rooming houses residents guide, the operator’s contact details, the written statement of rights and duties and the house rules, before or on the day they move in.
- Give the notice saying whether the resident has an exclusive right to the room or may share it.
- Lodge the bond correctly and complete the condition report.
- Fix urgent repairs immediately and non-urgent repairs within 14 days.
- Give at least 90 days’ notice of a rent increase, and seven days’ written notice of any change to the house rules.
None of this is unusual for a well-run property. What changed in October is that the evidence now has to be kept as a record, on paper or electronically, and produced when asked.
Where The Harmony Group fits
The Harmony Group’s product is a high-end, purpose-built nine-bed: nine rooms and nine bathrooms on one title, designed for the rooming-house regime from the first drawing. The build stage of The Harmony Formula uses an exclusive partner network that includes specialist property managers, so property management is part of the plan from the build stage.
No client commits to a property before its Class 1b certification has been confirmed. The team brings 15+ years of specialist accommodation experience.
If your question is still how to check a specific offer before you pay anything, our Class 1b verification checklist lists the documents to sight. For the building rules behind the classification, read what Class 1b certification requires for a nine-room property.
Frequently asked questions about rooming house operator duties
Q: Who has to keep the minimum-standards records?
The rooming house operator. Since 13 October 2026, CAV requires every operator to keep records sufficient to show the property meets the rooming-house minimum standards and to provide them if CAV asks. A manager or agent can do the filing, but the duty, and the penalty for inadequate records, sits with the operator.
Q: What do the records have to show?
That the property meets the minimum standards for the provision of a room, facility, services and common areas. CAV’s pages do not set out a form for them, so the practical test is whether you could prove each standard on the day you are asked, including recurring items such as the two-yearly gas and electrical checks.
Q: Does a property manager need a rooming house licence?
No. A manager engaged for day-to-day management does not need a licence, but is a relevant person on the operator’s licence and must meet the same fit and proper person requirements. If an estate agency manages the leasing, the operator still holds the licence.
Q: I own the property but someone else runs it. What are my obligations?
Your statutory duty as owner is to notify the local council if you have reason to believe, or should know, that your building is being used as an unregistered rooming house; failing to do so is an offence. Your agreements with the operator and manager should set out who arranges, pays for and files each compliance item.
Q: How long must the register of residents be kept?
At least 12 months after the date of the last entry. It must record each resident’s name and future address and their arrival and departure dates.
Learn how the asset is run before you own one
The records above are the visible part of running a rooming house well. Understanding them before you buy is cheaper than discovering them after.
The free co-living education program, in its own page’s words, is where you “learn how co-living property actually works”, from what you would own to how a purpose-built nine-bed is designed and run. When you have worked through any nine modules, you can book a one on one with one of our directors. If co-living isn’t suitable for you, we’ll tell you why.
Related reading on running a co-living property
- Rooming house licence, council registration or Class 1b certification: what a nine-bed owner needs
- Why is nine bedrooms the limit for a Victorian rooming house without a planning permit?
- Purpose-built co-living vs a rooming house: what’s the difference?
- What insurance do I need for a co-living property?
- What is The Harmony Formula?
Citations
- Running your business, rooming house operators, Consumer Affairs Victoria, last updated 14 October 2026. The 13 October 2026 record-keeping and bond rules; licence display; register of residents kept 12 months; RTBA lodgement within 10 business days; bond limits; condition report; repairs.
- Rooming house minimum standards, Consumer Affairs Victoria, last updated 14 October 2026. What the records must show; fixed heater since 1 December 2025; AS 3745 evacuation diagram; two-yearly gas and electrical checks; exemption records.
- Rooming house definitions, Consumer Affairs Victoria. Operator, manager and relevant person.
- Apply for a licence, Consumer Affairs Victoria, last updated 27 May 2026. Licence “ongoing unless cancelled”, issued “for 3 years, in the first instance”; notify the BLA of changes.
- Rooming house operators licensing scheme, Consumer Affairs Victoria. Managers and estate-agency staff as relevant persons; the operator holds the licence.
- Penalties and ongoing legal obligations, Consumer Affairs Victoria, last updated 1 July 2026. The owner’s duty to notify council (60 penalty units).
- Rooming house inspections, Consumer Affairs Victoria. Council, CAV, health, building and fire inspections; essential safety measures records; penalties for inadequate records.
- What must an operator give a new resident?, Consumer Affairs Victoria. Residents guide, contact details and seven-day change notice, rights statement, house rules, room notice.
- Checklists for rooming house operators, Consumer Affairs Victoria. Rent receipts kept at least 12 months; 90 days’ notice of rent increases; urgent and non-urgent repairs.
General information only. The Harmony Group provides general information about property and co-living investment, not personal financial, tax or legal advice, and does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). It does not account for your objectives, financial situation or needs, so consider its appropriateness and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, accountant or the ATO before acting. Past performance is not a guide to future results and historical figures may not be repeated. The 2027 negative gearing reform was enacted on 26 June 2026 and applies from 1 July 2027. The definition of a new residential dwelling is still being settled after Treasury’s consultation, so whether a nine-bed is an eligible new build remains unsettled. Other tax or regulatory measures described are subject to change.