Welcome to the Share Housing Survival Guide
Record high rents and a lack of affordable housing mean that each year, more and more people are moving into sharehouses. Now in its fourth edition, The Share Housing Survival Guide is designed to provide both practical and legal information for people in share housing. This guide is based on the law applying to residents in New South Wales in June 2024.
Looking for a Place and Establishing a Share House provide an overview of different housing options, how to budget and where you can get help with money.
Living in a Share House will help you plan day-to-day living arrangements.
See Your Legal Rights if you need help sorting out tenancy problems, such as bond.
Domestic Violence provides information on what to do if your housemates become violent towards you.
Moving Out looks at what happens if you want to leave or want your housemates to leave.
Looking for a New Housemate gives you tips on how to find a new housemate and what steps to take once you’ve found one.
Some of the chapters in this guide contain jargon. Look up Glossary if you’re not sure what a specific word means.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this guide is as up to date and accurate as possible, it is not legal advice. The law is complex and may change. This guide is not designed to comprehensively deal with every factual scenario but as a starting point for people living in a share house. Readers are advised to seek specific legal advice in relation to their particular situation. If you need further advice, contact your local tenants’ advice service (see Useful Contacts). International students living and studying in NSW can also contact the International Students Legal Service at Redfern Legal Centre for advice.