A boarding house provides accommodation for a fee. Boarding houses are sometimes called lodging houses. A boarding house resident does not have the same control over the premises as a tenant does. Often a resident of a boarding house only has a right to occupy a room and to share other facilities such as a kitchen and bathroom.

The Boarding Houses Act 2012 aims to improve the standards of registered boarding houses by:

  • establishing a publicly available register of registrable boarding houses in NSW
  • increasing inspection powers for local councils
  • introducing occupancy rights for people living in boarding houses
  • modernizing the laws that apply to boarding houses accommodating people with ‘additional needs’.