Girilang Boarding house rules in NSW, in plain English
What a registrable operator needs to know about the register, the occupancy principles, and the records a council will ask to see.
- NSW
- 6 min read
- Published:
- 28 May 2026
- Last updated:
- 6 October 2026
If you run a boarding house in New South Wales, the Boarding Houses Act 2012 sets the ground rules, and the expensive mistakes are avoidable. This is what applies to you, in plain terms.
Is your boarding house registrable?
A general boarding house is registrable if it provides beds, for a fee, to five or more residents who are not the proprietor’s family. If that describes your property, it must be listed on the public Boarding Houses Register within 28 days of the point it becomes registrable.
- Count residents, not rooms. Five residents in three rooms is five residents.
- Registration is ongoing. When the details change, the register has to change with them.
- Assisted boarding houses, which accommodate residents with additional needs, carry licensing requirements on top of registration.
The occupancy principles
Residents of a registrable boarding house are protected by a set of occupancy principles. They are the boarding-house counterpart of the core rights in a residential tenancy agreement, and they cannot be contracted out of.
A written agreement
- What it means in practice
- Every resident gets one, setting out the house rules and the fees
Notice of a fee increase
- What it means in practice
- At least four weeks’ written notice before the occupancy fee goes up
Ending the agreement
- What it means in practice
- Reasonable written notice, with a reason
Quiet enjoyment
- What it means in practice
- A resident is entitled to it, and to a room that is safe and habitable
Disputes
- What it means in practice
- Either side can go to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal
| Principle | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| A written agreement | Every resident gets one, setting out the house rules and the fees |
| Notice of a fee increase | At least four weeks’ written notice before the occupancy fee goes up |
| Ending the agreement | Reasonable written notice, with a reason |
| Quiet enjoyment | A resident is entitled to it, and to a room that is safe and habitable |
| Disputes | Either side can go to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal |
Records that survive an inspection
Local councils inspect registered general boarding houses against fire-safety and building standards, the first time within twelve months of registration. The operators who get through cleanly, whatever the age of their building, can produce occupancy agreements, fee histories and maintenance records without leaving the room.
- 1 Register on time, and update the register the week anything changes.
- 2 Give every resident a written agreement before they move in, and keep a signed copy.
- 3 Keep the fee history, the maintenance record and the fire-safety paperwork where a stranger could find them.
The guide to landlord records sets out a filing habit that suits a boarding house as well as a single tenancy: one home for every record, filed against the property and the resident.
Agreements, e-signed
Write your own occupancy agreement block by block and have each resident e-sign it from a link. See who lives in each room, and keep maintenance records and documents against the property.
