Rooming houses in Moreland

Media statement from Roger Collins, Director City Development
4 May 2010

Council has made the issue of illegal accommodation and rooming houses a high priority and diverted resources to better tackle the problem. The restructure of the regulatory service units of Council (Planning, Building, Environmental Health and Local Laws) has assisted with this.

Council has a responsibility to ensure that all prescribed accommodation premises within the municipality (rooming houses are a type of prescribed accommodation) comply with the requirements of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act and Regulations. However when dealing with allegations and reports of illegal accommodation and rooming houses Council’s first concern and responsibility is to ensure that buildings are safe and more specifically provided with adequate fire safety measures.

CAV does provide assistance to Council through information about alleged rooming houses (information obtained through their complaints hotline). They have also participated in joint inspections of rooming houses with Council.

Council started to change the way it investigated reports of illegal accommodation and rooming houses in July 2009. The catalyst for this change was largely due to the learning’s that arose during the inquest into two deaths that resulted from a rooming house fire.

From July 2009 Council has found and been made aware of 115 alleged illegal accommodation and rooming houses. Of this 115:

• 23 Were not rooming houses or illegal accommodation
• 59 Were operating as rooming houses
• 33 Investigations remain outstanding – these matters include a review of all past reports that were made prior to changes to legislation in December 2008 and 18 matters that CAV have recently bought to the attention of Council.

In the twelve months prior to this Council had been made aware of seven alleged illegal accommodation and rooming houses.

Each investigation involves at least three joint inspections (approximately 345 inspections) conducted by a Building Surveyor and Environmental Health Officer. Overall since July 2009 the increase in workload has been significant and the numbers of reports seem to be increasing.

Of the 59 properties found to be operating as rooming houses:

• Council is in the process of working with the operators of 26 to gain registration
• 16 properties were closed voluntarily (due to the costs associated with directed upgrades and/or illegal use – i.e. using factories as dwellings)
• 17 rooming houses are subject to further investigation and potential prosecution.  

The owners of the 59 properties have been issued with orders directing that they remedy inadequate fire safety measures (i.e. install smoke alarms) and any dangerous building works. Prior to gaining registration, proprietors must be able to demonstrate that their building complies with necessary standards and has a current occupancy permit indicative of the use as a rooming house (boarding house).