If you’re looking for an alternative to renting to a single tenant or generating income through sharing your house then rooming accommodation could be the answer. It allows you to lawfully have up to 5 people* as residents/tenants as residents/tenants under Brisbane City Council’s City Plan 2014.
Common examples of rooming accommodation include student accommodation, hostels or boarding houses. If you choose to make adjustments to your property to turn it into rooming accommodation, it will no longer be considered a “dwelling house” for the purposes of the City Plan or Building Regulations. As a result you will need Building Approval and a Change of Classification from a Private Building Certifier.
Rooming accommodation means the use of premises for residential accommodation if each resident:
- has a right to occupy 1 or more rooms; and
- does not have a right to occupy the whole of the premises; and
- does not occupy a self-contained unit (as defined under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008) or has only limited facilities available for private use; and
- shares other rooms, facilities, furniture or equipment outside of the resident’s room with 1 or more other residents, whether or not the rooms, facilities, furniture or equipment are on the same or different premises.
Rooming accommodation also includes providing food or other services to residents and/or on-site management or staff and associated accommodation.
If you wish to convert your property into rooming accommodation it will not require council approval if it complies with the following “accepted development” requirements:
- there is no increase in gross floor area
- accommodating 5 people or less
- no more than 1 dwelling on the lot
- complying with all acceptable outcomes in section A of the Rooming accommodation code.
Brisbane City Council’s planning scheme allows for rooming accommodation in the low density and character residential zones if it complies with the code. It is important to check what council will accept.
A qualified town planner can help you navigate the requirements of this code specific to your site. Contact Consult Planning for an obligation free desktop review of your specific rooming accommodation proposal via office@consultplanning.com.au
*other Council areas also have rooming accommodation although this article focuses on the Brisbane requirements.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to provide accurate information, Consult Planning does not guarantee that this blog article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use. Requirements and standards frequently change so every individual proposal should be thoroughly investigated.
