ROGUE landlords face hefty on-the-spot
fines as concerns mount over conditions in Wyndham’s increasing number of rooming houses.
From next March, all rooming houses will be bound by minimum standards that will force operators to provide such things as locks in every bedroom and bathroom, along with adequate kitchen facilities and power supplies.
The state government last week said companies operating rooming houses faced fines of up to $2800 for each breach, with individuals to receive a fine of up to $700.
Wyndham and Melton are among western suburbs facing an increase in the number of people turning to rooming houses, according to a revised count by RMIT University this year.
The number of rooming houses in Wyndham and Melton rose from one in 2006 to 36 last year. Rooming house tenants soared from nine to 264.
A rooming house or boarding house is a building in which more than four people, who are not related to the landlord, have separate agreements to pay rent.
Werribee Support and Housing chief executive Carol Muir said rooming house conditions were often poor. Rent can range from $100-$200 a week.
“Some clients have reported that they have felt unsafe in rooming houses, they have been concerned about theft and have experienced a lack of privacy,” she said.
She said rooming houses were on the rise because Wyndham had no local crisis accommodation and unemployment benefit Newstart was not enough for a single person to afford to live alone.
Wyndham chief executive Kerry Thompson said council officers were investigating six suspected illegal rooming houses in Hoppers Crossing and Werribee.
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury said most rooming houses provided a much-needed service to people who had fallen on tough times.
