Meet the minimum standards
Operators already had to provide compliant accommodation under section 142B. Specific gas and electrical safety-check record obligations also existed under section 142BA.
Victoria / rooming houses
Every room.
A clearer compliance record.
Understand the standards, explore the proposed RMS-RH self-service platform, or arrange professional inspection and evidence-management support.
Support for rooming-house operators, owners and property managers, with a scope tailored to the building and its residents.
Read the eight minimum-standard areas ↓
Rooming houses / legislative change explained
What changed on
13 October 2026?
The new requirement is to keep evidence demonstrating compliance. Rooming house minimum standards already existed. Operators now have an express duty to retain sufficient records across rooms, facilities, services and common areas.
Keep evidence across the standards
Section 142BAA adds the broader compliance-record duty. Under section 142BAB, operators must produce those records to the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria on request, in the specified manner, as soon as practicable.
This applies to operating rooming houses from that date; it is not limited to the next advertisement or new resident.
Does this require certification before advertising?
These new rooming house provisions do not expressly introduce a separate pre-advertising evidence requirement, universal annual compliance certificate or routine lodgement before each advertisement. Ordinary residential rentals have separate advertising and occupation provisions; do not automatically apply that framework to rooming houses.
Confirm the legal framework for the particular accommodation and agreement where classification is uncertain.
How often must the evidence be updated?
The general record-keeping provision sets no single annual or six-monthly inspection cycle. Compliance remains ongoing, with separate safety-check and building-maintenance schedules.
Inspection frequency under a separately commissioned professional service is an agreed service commitment, rather than a statutory annual certification requirement.
Our recommended process
Establish a dated evidence file, record defects, verify completed repairs and update findings as conditions change. Review the relevant room and shared areas before advertising and before a new resident arrives. Those checkpoints are our recommended management process; the underlying legal duty is ongoing compliance and sufficient evidence.
CAV: rooming house record-keeping change ↗Act: sections 142B, 142BA, 142BAA and 142BAB ↗CAV: separate residential rental rules ↗
Record-keeping change reviewed 19 October 2026. General guidance; check current official requirements and property-specific advice.
Rooming houses / who is responsible?
Owner. Operator. Managing agent.
Know your role.
The building owner and the business operator may be different entities. Identify both, and document who manages each task.
The rooming house operator
Section 142B: minimum standards for rooms, facilities, services and shared areas. Sections 142BA, 142BAA–142BAB: safety-check records, compliance evidence and production of records on request.
The operator runs the business, whether from owned or leased premises. Appointing an agent does not remove the operator’s duties.
The building owner
If the owner also operates the business, the operator duties apply to them. A separate building owner retains applicable building-safety duties, including ESM under Part 15 of the Building Regulations 2018.
Council premises registration and an operator’s licence are separate requirements. Check the property’s approvals and ESM documentation.
The managing agent
Coordinate inspections, report defects, obtain instructions, follow up approved work and maintain records within the management appointment. The agent must also comply with duties applying directly to their conduct, including section 142A on entry.
A managing agent is not automatically the operator. The actual operating arrangements matter; an agency appointment does not erase either party’s own duties.
One property. One coordinated compliance record.
Inspection findings, dated photographs, safety certificates, outstanding actions and rectification evidence are brought together in one property file, with responsibility for each action clearly recorded. Our team maintains the compiled record and prepares a downloadable PDF for sharing when requested.
Consumer Affairs Victoria may request information from the particular party responsible. A consolidated file helps the owner, operator and managing agent respond consistently and retrieve the relevant evidence promptly.
A practical safeguard for your property and your responsibilities.
Our service helps identify gaps, coordinate approved work and maintain evidence. It is not an insurance policy, a guarantee of compliance or a transfer of anyone’s statutory duties.
Act: sections 142A–142BAB ↗CAV rooming-house guidance ↗Operator & managing agent distinction ↗Building owner ESM duties ↗
Plain-English summary, checked 17 October 2026. Responsibilities depend on the applicable law, building approvals and actual business arrangements.
Professional inspections / separate services
On-site expertise.
Practical support.
Professional inspection and managed evidence support remain available separately from the proposed RMS-RH self-service subscription. Discuss the property, attendance requirements and support you need; scope and fees are agreed before work begins.
Inspect and document
Assess accessible areas, record findings against applicable standards, assemble photographs and supporting documents, and identify outstanding issues requiring verification or rectification.
Coordinate and follow up
Facilitate quotes and approved work, liaise with the property manager and appropriate specialists, and collect and review completion evidence within the agreed service scope.
Support the property manager
Agree the record-management arrangements, communication, practical guidance and relevant legislative updates needed for the property. The self-service subscription does not include professional on-site attendance.
Specialist checks, certificates, statutory fees, repairs, materials and trade charges are additional. Owner, operator and agent duties continue to apply. Neither an inspection nor an evidence file guarantees overall compliance.
Enquire about professional support ↓Privacy / security / safety / amenity
Read the rooming house
minimum standards.
Eight subject areas organise CAV’s minimum standards guidance. Assess every applicable requirement for the individual property, each resident’s room and the shared facilities. These subject areas are distinct from the eight evidence categories below.
Bathrooms
Shared bathroom and toilet doors need secure internal privacy hardware that operates without a key. The current standard specifies a suitably installed bolt or catch, with a privacy-latch alternative where the stated exception applies; a cabin hook is insufficient. Showers must work and have a WELS rating of at least 3 stars, subject to the permitted lower-rating exception where a compliant head cannot be installed.
Blind cords
Secure or tension cords on internal blinds and curtains using appropriate anchors, guides or cleats so that dangerous loose loops cannot form. Check the installation and ongoing condition wherever corded coverings are present.
Dining facilities
Provide sufficient chairs for the maximum occupancy of the resident’s room with the most occupants, together with enough table space to accommodate those chairs comfortably. A dining bench must not double as a food-preparation surface.
Heating
Each resident’s room requires a fixed heater secured to a wall, floor or ceiling, subject to applicable exceptions. Current permitted types include electric ducted or hydronic systems, non-portable electric heaters, and non-ducted air conditioners or heat pumps rated at least 2 stars for heating. Existing gas ducted or hydronic systems in good working order can remain until the end of their life. Stronger energy-efficiency requirements commence on 1 December 2030; assess the applicable exceptions and transition provisions.
Kitchens
Each resident needs access to food-preparation facilities. An in-room kitchen requires a preparation area, sink, working oven and cooktop, refrigerator of at least 80 litres and cupboard storage of at least 100 litres.
A shared kitchen requires a preparation area and sink; a working oven and four-burner cooktop for every 12 or fewer residents without those facilities in their rooms; and an individual lockable cupboard of at least 100 litres per resident. Shared refrigeration starts at 400 litres for up to four residents without an in-room refrigerator, plus 28.5 litres per additional resident. Assess provision against the relevant maximum capacity; preparation areas must be used solely for preparing food.
Residents’ rooms
Entry and exit doors require locks that operate from outside using a key or permitted equivalent and release from inside without a key. Each room needs at least two working power outlets freely available to the resident, in addition to outlets used for operator-provided amenities. Window coverings must be operable by the resident, provide privacy and reasonably block light. Check the room’s fixed heating and displayed evacuation diagram as well.
Shared laundries
For every 12 or fewer residents, provide working communal laundry facilities: a trough or basin with continuous, adequate hot and cold water, adjacent washing-machine space with suitable hot and cold supply outlets, and a clothesline or other drying facility. Residents must have free access to at least one working washing machine for every 12 or fewer residents.
General minimum standards
Review compliant evacuation diagrams in each room and shared area; appropriate natural and artificial lighting; compliant ventilation; two-yearly gas and electrical checks; and required circuit-breaker and residual-current protection.
Openable external windows must open and close without a key and have functioning latches securing them against entry. Entrance locks must allow keyless exit from inside. The main entry needs visitor-screening facilities and adequate external lighting. Check structural soundness, weatherproofing, structure-related mould or damp, applicable light-blocking coverings in living areas and blind-cord safety. Separate building fire-safety and council requirements also apply.
Summary of the CAV guidance supplied for this update, reviewed 17 October 2026. Detailed definitions, exceptions and property-specific approvals matter; this overview does not replace the regulations or qualified specialist assessment.
Record keeping / from 13 October 2026
Eight evidence categories.
One organised property file.
Operators must retain sufficient evidence of minimum-standard compliance for rooms, facilities, services and common areas, and provide it to Consumer Affairs Victoria on request. These eight categories are our recommended filing structure; they are not eight statutory standards or a prescribed government checklist.
| RECORD CATEGORY | WHAT TO KEEP | WHEN TO UPDATE — RECOMMENDED WORKFLOW |
|---|---|---|
| 01 / Assessment report | Dated findings against every applicable standard, identifying each room and shared area, assessor and unresolved items. | Establish a baseline; review at planned inspections, before a new resident arrives and after relevant changes or reported problems. |
| 02 / Photographic evidence | Dated, location-labelled photographs linked to the relevant finding. Respect residents’ privacy and store securely. | At assessment and whenever repairs, replacements or changed conditions need documenting. |
| 03 / Functional checks | Notes of what was operated or tested, by whom, when and with what result. A photograph alone does not establish operation. | At relevant inspections, after faults and after repairs; technical testing requires an appropriate specialist. |
| 04 / Gas and electrical safety | Safety-check reports, practitioner licence details, findings, corrective actions and relevant work certificates. | Add each scheduled check and subsequent work record. Gas and electrical checks have their own two-year cycles. |
| 05 / Technical evidence | Model and rating information, measurements, capacity calculations and specialist findings supporting the assessment. | On initial assessment, replacement, changed capacity or changed requirements. |
| 06 / Rectification trail | Numbered defects, action owners, work orders, invoices and completion evidence, including who verified the result and when. | As each issue is reported, actioned and verified. An invoice alone may not demonstrate that a defect is resolved. |
| 07 / Exemptions and exceptions | Formal exemption approvals and conditions; evidence supporting any applicable exception or “not applicable” finding. | When granted or assessed; review conditions, expiry dates and changes that could affect applicability. |
| 08 / Review history | A dated index, earlier reports, updates, outstanding actions and future review dates. | Whenever evidence changes. Preserve the sequence from finding to verified completion. |
How often must records be updated?
There is no single fixed annual or six-monthly cycle in the new general record-keeping provision. Compliance is ongoing. Keep evidence current as conditions change and record checks, faults, repairs and replacements as they occur.
Our recommended inspection workflow above is a practical management approach, not a statutory inspection frequency. Separate gas, electrical and building fire-safety schedules still apply; the review-cycle table below sets these out.
How long should records be kept?
The new general provision does not set one universal retention period for the whole file. Apply the separate rules for each record type. CAV’s safety-check guidance says to keep gas and electrical check records until the next check record is created, and retain relevant subsequent gas-work documentation.
We recommend a documented retention policy that preserves assessment and repair history. A new report should not automatically trigger deletion of earlier evidence.
Keep alongside this file: applicable council registration, operator licence, planning and building approvals, approved occupancy details, current house rules and the building’s fire-safety maintenance records. These address separate obligations and property-specific requirements. This evidence structure is not a government certificate or a guarantee of compliance.
Fire detection / safe evacuation
Raise the alarm.
Light the way out.
Smoke detection and evacuation lighting are related safety systems with distinct requirements. Confirm the installation and maintenance requirements against the building classification, approved fire-safety design and applicable maintenance schedule.
Hard-wired, interconnected alarms
Rooming houses require hard-wired smoke alarms. For Class 1b smoke-alarm installations, where more than one alarm is required, the alarms must be interconnected: when one alarm activates, the other connected alarms sound. Mains-powered alarms also need a backup power source.
Have a qualified electrician or relevant fire-safety professional confirm alarm coverage, interconnection and backup operation against the approved requirements. Other building classes or approved fire-safety designs may use a different detection and alarm system.
Building and Plumbing Commission: smoke alarms ↗Evacuation lighting and exit signs
Check the lighting serving corridors, stairs and escape routes separately from the smoke alarms. Class 1b provisions include lighting to assist evacuation that activates with the smoke alarms.
Some buildings also require emergency lighting and illuminated exit signs that operate during a mains power failure, using battery backup or another approved emergency supply. Where required, the system must maintain the required illumination for the minimum operating period specified by the applicable standard and approved design; backup duration must be verified and recorded during testing. The required locations, backup arrangements and test intervals depend on the building’s approvals and applicable standards. Smoke-alarm-activated evacuation lighting and power-failure emergency lighting should not be assumed to be the same system.
Building and Plumbing Commission: safety systems ↗Evidence to retain: installation and servicing records, interconnection test results, applicable evacuation-lighting checks, emergency lighting and exit-sign test records, backup-power test results where required, and evidence of rectified faults.
Hume City Council: Class 1b smoke alarms and evacuation lighting ↗Resident information / ongoing records
Keep instructions current.
Record the checks.
Physical safety systems, resident information and maintenance evidence need to work together. Include these documents and records in the property’s compliance file.
Current house rules
Where house rules apply, keep a current copy, give it to each resident before or on the day they agree to move in, and prominently display the rules in each resident’s room. Notify residents in writing at least seven days before changes take effect.
Keep: the dated rules, previous versions and evidence of provision and change notices.
CAV: information for new residents ↗Evacuation diagrams
Compliant evacuation diagrams must be prominently displayed in every resident’s room and all common areas. Check that each diagram remains accurate, legible and correctly located. Update it when relevant layouts, escape routes, assembly points or safety equipment change, and review and reissue before the nominated validity date. The validity period should not exceed five years and may be shorter.
Keep: current diagrams, issue and review details, and records of checks and replacements. A routine check of a displayed diagram is different from its five-year maximum validity and reissue cycle.
CAV: evacuation diagram requirements ↗FPA Australia: diagram validity guidance ↗
Safety inspection and maintenance log
Retain records of Essential Safety Measures maintenance and the current annual report. Keep a working log of checks of exit doors, escape routes, required lighting, exit signs and backup power, following the applicable maintenance schedule. The inspection interval must follow the building’s schedule rather than assuming a universal six-month cycle. Exits must remain functional and escape routes clear at all times, including between scheduled checks.
Record: the date, checker, location or equipment, check or test completed, result, defects, corrective action and follow-up verification. Routine observations do not replace specialist testing.
Building and Plumbing Commission: records ↗Each property / its own requirements
One rooming house.
Several layers of compliance.
Each rooming house must be considered on its own merits. Statewide requirements apply alongside the relevant council requirements, planning and building approvals, and any conditions or specific matters affecting the property. Council processes and applicable local requirements can differ between municipalities; statewide minimum standards still apply across Victoria.
Consumer Affairs Victoria
Review rooming-house minimum standards, operator licensing obligations, resident rights and required records. Meeting one set of requirements does not establish that every other obligation has been met.
The relevant local council
Confirm premises registration, public health and hygiene requirements, inspection requirements and applicable registration conditions with the council responsible for the address.
Building and fire safety
Review the building classification, approved capacity, occupancy documents and applicable Essential Safety Measures maintenance schedule. Building-specific requirements, notices or orders must also be addressed.
Planning and property-specific conditions
Check the permitted use, any required planning approvals, endorsed plans and conditions. Consider the building’s layout, resident capacity, alterations, heritage controls and other matters relevant to that particular rooming house.
A property-specific review should bring these requirements together and identify missing approvals, outstanding conditions and matters needing council or specialist confirmation. A general checklist alone cannot establish overall compliance.
Assessment coverage
Rooms and shared areas.
One connected record.
Inspect each room individually, then review the common facilities and building records. Link each finding to its location, photographs, action owner and supporting evidence.
Each resident’s room
Room-entry locks and keyless exit, usable power outlets, privacy and light-blocking coverings, heating and the room’s evacuation diagram.
Facilities and services
Bathroom privacy and showerheads; kitchen, storage and dining provision; laundry and drying facilities. Assess capacity against maximum residents and the applicable rules.
The whole building
Entrances, windows, lighting, ventilation, blind-cord safety, structural condition, weatherproofing, mould and damp. Refer concealed or technical issues to qualified specialists.
Fixed room heating requirements commenced 1 December 2025, subject to applicable exceptions; stronger energy-efficiency requirements follow from 1 December 2030. A heater in a shared living area alone is not the room-heating assessment.
Recurring checks and specialist records
Track the right dates.
The October record duty sits alongside existing safety requirements. A visual minimum standards assessment does not replace regulated checks or building-specific fire maintenance.
| AREA | REVIEW CYCLE | EVIDENCE TO ASSEMBLE |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical safety | At least every two years | Qualified electrician’s report, licence details, results and completed remedial work. |
| Gas safety, where present | Every two years | Qualified gasfitter’s report covering relevant installations, fittings and appliances. |
| Smoke detection and alarms | Inspect, test and maintain in accordance with the building’s applicable maintenance schedule and manufacturer requirements, including six-monthly servicing where required. Faults require immediate action. | Hard-wired alarm records; interconnection and backup-power verification where applicable; maintenance schedule; repairs and replacements. |
| Evacuation lighting, emergency lighting and exit signs | Verify the systems required for the particular building. Inspect and test at the intervals in the applicable maintenance schedule and standards, including backup-power operation where required. | Approved design and maintenance requirements; lighting and exit-sign test records; battery or emergency-supply test results; fault rectification. |
| Essential safety measures | Building-specific maintenance schedule | Applicable building documents, dated inspection and maintenance logs, defect and repair records, and the current annual essential safety measures report. |
| Rooming-house minimum standards | Ongoing compliance; keep evidence current as conditions change | Dated room and common-area findings, defect closure evidence and any approved exemptions. |
Keep gas and electrical check records until the next check record is created; retain subsequent work documentation. Supply safety-check copies within seven days of a resident’s written request. CAV encourages lodgement of safety-check records through myCAV.
An annual smoke alarm service is not a substitute for other fire-system or essential safety measures maintenance. Confirm the required schedule with the building’s appointed specialists.
A practical service pathway
Inspect. Coordinate.
Keep the evidence together.
Agree the building, room and specialist scope before work starts. No rooming-house subscription price or automated portal is being offered on this page.
Review the starting records
Request the operator licence, council registration, capacity information, applicable building documents and existing safety reports. Record missing information for follow-up.
Record each location
Use a room register and shared-area checklist. Photograph findings and distinguish observable condition from matters requiring specialist verification. Arrange lawful resident access.
Coordinate approved work
Number the actions, obtain quotes and owner approval, book appropriate trades and track progress. Review completion evidence before closing an item; urgent issues need immediate escalation.
Maintain a usable evidence pack
Bring together findings, certificates, approvals and verified repairs. Track future check dates and review the relevant room and common areas before a new resident arrives.
Supporting records
A file for the house.
A record for each room.
Our recommended structure separates property-wide documents from room-specific evidence. Each action carries its location, responsible person, status and verification record.
Use a dated index to locate reports quickly. Preserve earlier findings and subsequent completion evidence together. This is a practical evidence structure, not a prescribed government form.
Additional operator duties
Council registration, operator licensing, permits, resident records and health and hygiene maintenance sit alongside minimum standards. Applicable fire and building requirements must also be checked.
Bond processes and other resident-management duties require their own procedures. A property assessment is not a complete audit of every operator obligation.
CAV operator checklist ↗RMS-RH and professional services / rooming houses
Discuss your rooming house.
Tell us the address, room count, maximum resident capacity, gas appliances and current safety-check dates. Tell us whether you are interested in RMS-RH or professional inspection and evidence support. We will discuss the appropriate next steps.
Inspections and coordination do not replace operator duties, council approval, building-surveyor assessment or qualified trade certification. Repairs and specialist work require an agreed scope and approval.
Enquire about rooming-house compliance ↗
Use our contact form to email the team. Service arrangements are confirmed directly; no online payment or booking is taken.
Official sources.
Reviewed 19 October 2026.
Independent guidance for Victorian rooming houses. Property classification, capacity, exemptions and building documents determine the detailed scope. This overview does not certify compliance.
rooming houses / enquiries
Discuss your rooming house.
RMS-RH is proposed at $125 plus GST per month ($137.50 including GST), per rooming house for up to nine rooms. Register your interest or ask about separately arranged professional inspections. Include the address, room count and current priorities.
This form emails hello@rentalminimumstandards.com.au directly. We will email you an acknowledgement. We use your details to respond to your enquiry.