A rooming accommodation tenancy agreement is for residents renting a room.

Rooming accommodation includes: 

• boarding houses
• supported accommodation services where a person pays for a room and support services (e.g. meals and/or personal care)
• certain types of student accommodation
• a house where rooms are rented (for example, where the owner lives in the house and rents rooms to other people)

The person renting the accommodation is known as the resident and the person providing the room is the provider or agent.

The Rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18) outlines the legal rights and responsibilities of the resident and the provider and any special terms as agreed between the resident and the provider.

The rooming accommodation agreement must include: 

• standard terms and any special terms (e.g. keeping pets, pest control)
• the rent to be paid and any other costs including food, personal care or any other service
• cost and frequency of rent payments which room can be lived in and what common areas they may use
• the length and type of agreement, for example, periodic or fixed, for 6 months
• house rules
• whether a bond is charged and how much it is

Fast facts

• It is a legally binding contract.
• It must be a written agreement.
• The lessor/agent/provider pays any costs of preparing the agreement.
• A bond does not have to be taken but if it is it must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days using a Bond lodgement (Form R2) or Part payment of rental bond (Form R7). If the rent is $500 or less per week, the maximum bond that can be charged is 4 times the weekly rent. If the rent is more than $500 per week, there is no bond limit.
• If a bond is charged, a Condition report (Form R1) must be completed.
• A resident should make sure they understand the agreement before signing it.