Why you need a specialist for your rooming house management

As the demand for affordable housing continues to rise, the interest in rooming houses has never been higher. As investors look to this category of property as the next frontier to diversify their residential property portfolios, you might be wondering how the ongoing management of rooming houses differs from a traditional property management scenario.

The fact is, there is a lot more involved when it comes to the management of one of these properties. Rooming house property management is a specialist field that not all agencies are equipped to handle. Let’s discuss some of the key differences.

Additional legislative requirements

While all residential tenancies must operate under the regulations set under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, rooming houses bring with them a number of additional legislative requirements rooming house operators must abide by.

For example, there is the Rooming House Operators Act 2016 which is a licensing scheme ensuring operators (usually rooming house owners) and their delegated rooming house managers are “fit and proper persons”. Then there’s the Residential Tenancies (Rooming House Standards) Regulations 2012 which governs the minimum operating standards for privacy, security, safety and amenity in rooming houses – regardless of whether a resident is on a rooming house agreement or an individual tenancy agreement. There are also the minimum standards set out by the Building Regulations 2006 and part 5 of the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 (Prescribed Accommodation) which a rooming house operator must also abide by.

Much more hands on

In a traditional rental arrangement, the idea of “communal amenity” is usually reserved for larger developments, such as apartment buildings with a shared pool or rooftop gardens. In those situations, any maintenance or issues surrounding theses communal amenities are managed by the owners corporation. While the property manager may play a role in passing along a message on behalf of the tenant or landlord, but ultimately it isn’t within their role to ensure the upkeep of this amenity.

Rooming house managers on the other hand are much more involved in ensuring the communal areas are maintained to at least a minimum standard. Things like shared kitchen appliances, laundry facilities, and lighting are all included under rooming house manager’s remit – whereas in a more traditional rental situation the onus is on the tenant to ensure the general upkeep of these items. This is managed in part through the institution of “house rules” to ensure residents are respectful and appropriate in their use of both shared and private spaces, but also through regular on-site visits by the rooming house manager.

How The Hopkins Group manages rooming houses

The Hopkins Group offers two models for our rooming house clients. These are:

Property Management Model

• You will require an operator license and we will nominate a representative for this license
• We take care of the leasing and management of your investment property

Rooming House Operator Model

• We take care of everything associated with your rooming house investment
• Our rooming house operator license is activated, and our team manage these responsibilities
• We monitor and adhere to the Residential Tenancies Act, Rooming House Act, Public Health and Wellbeing Act and other relevant legislation
• Comply with all council and state government legislation and regulations
• Conduct necessary safety checks and communicate with council and government offices

A specialist rooming house manager like The Hopkins Group is well equipped to not only ensure your rooming house is tenanted and maintained, but also navigate the complexities of keeping making sure you continue to be compliant with all relevant legislation.

Rooming house management is a specialist area, so it makes sense to hire experts. To learn how The Hopkins Group can assist you with your rooming house, contact us today.