Owners of private shared accommodation (or rooming houses) must comply with legal requirements, to ensure the health and safety of the occupants. Rooming houses are common in the City of Whittlesea and provide alternative accommodation, especially for students.
We are responsible for:
A rooming house (a Class 1b building) is temporary or permanent accommodation that:
It is important to properly define a rooming house to:
If you are constructing a new building for the purpose of shared accommodation, you must ensure it is built to fully satisfy the Class 1b statutory requirements, including the provisions of the Building Code of Australia, and health and planning legislation.
If you plan to convert a building, which was built to accommodate a family (Class 1a), into a rooming house, you should contact a Registered Building Surveyor (RBS). They will assess the building and determine what work is required to comply with the regulations for the new use (Class 1b).
You will need a building permit, and then an occupancy permit at the end of the work. You will also need to Register a prescribed accommodation premises.
You cannot simply install smoke alarms to convert a Class 1a building to Class 1b.
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