You find one on classified ad websites, such as Gumtree, and on websites for finding housemates, such as Flatmate Finders. On 5 November 2026, Gumtree had 886 listings in the Sydney region and 865 in the Melbourne region. More than the website, what changes your rights is your role in the house: tenant, sub-tenant or boarder.
Which websites are used?
We have not found public data on which is used most, so they are in alphabetical order.
| Website | What it is | Cost for people searching |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Marketplace | Ads on a social network | We have not opened it |
| Flatmate Finders | Links people searching with people offering. It says it has operated since 1987 | Searchers get 2 months free. The paid plan costs A$22.99 for 14 days, A$27.99 for a month or A$34.99 for two |
| Flatmates.com.au | Unconfirmed: we could not check it | Unconfirmed |
| Gumtree | Ads from private individuals, with filters for price, furniture and preferred gender | Its listing shows no cost for searching |
| realestate.com.au | Property portal with a rooms section | We could only read the title |
The Tenants' Union of New South Wales, a tenants' union, lists Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree as sites that are not closely monitored. That does not make every ad false, but it is worth checking: see how to spot a scam.
If you are going to study, Study Australia adds other routes: your institution's accommodation, student residences and homestay families.
What do I look at in the ad?
- Week or month: the price is usually per week, but on the first Gumtree page for Melbourne there were ads with the figure per month. Always compare using the same unit.
- Bills: many descriptions say which bills are included. If it does not say, ask.
- Price: you have references in how much it costs to rent. A very low rent is a warning sign.
Tenant, sub-tenant or boarder?
| Role | How to recognise it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Co-tenant | Your name is on the contract with the landlord | You are responsible for the rent and damage, including for what another person leaves |
| Sub-tenant | You rent from the person who signed the contract, with a separate agreement | That person acts as your landlord and needs the permission of the owner |
| Boarder or lodger | The person renting to you lives there, controls the house and sets rules | You are often outside tenancy law. It depends on the state |
In New South Wales and Tasmania, the landlord can claim the full amount from a single co-tenant. A boarder usually receives meals or services and a lodger does not.
What changes depending on the state?
- New South Wales: if a co-tenant leaves and asks for their share, the others return it within 14 days, minus anything owed. Whoever sub-lets lodges your bond with Fair Trading. A boarder is generally outside the 2010 tenancy law, and their bond does not have to be lodged, so ask for a receipt. The union's fact sheets are from 2023 and warn of later legal changes.
- Victoria: sub-letting requires written permission, which is free, and the bond is lodged with the bond authority within 10 business days. A house where 4 or more people can live in rented rooms may be a rooming house, with a public register.
- Queensland: written permission is also needed. Bonds go to the rental authority, even when sub-letting. If your role is not clear, you can call it or go to the QCAT tribunal.
- Western Australia: besides co-tenants and sub-tenants, there are separate contracts per room. Consumer Protection does not resolve disputes between co-tenants. A boarder's bond does not go to Bonds Administration: whoever rents to you returns it.
- South Australia: a rooming house may ask for up to 2 weeks of bond and 1 week of rent in advance.
- Tasmania: sub-letting is only valid if the person who signed lives in the house and has permission. It is outside tenancy law, and the bond body does not protect that bond. The fact sheet is from 2018.
- Australian Capital Territory: if you move in without written permission from the landlord, you may end up as a licensee, with no tenant or occupant rights. The bond is split equally, unless everyone signs something different.
- Northern Territory: the signs that you are a boarder are included services, house rules, no bond and uncontrolled use of the dwelling. Darwin's tenants' service also helps boarders for free.
What do I ask before paying?
- Is my name on the contract, or am I signing with the person who already lives there?
- Does the landlord know I am going to live here and has authorised it in writing?
- Where is my bond lodged and what receipt will I be given?
- Can I see the condition report for the house? In the Australian Capital Territory, whoever enters as a co-tenant takes the house as it is.
- How are the bills split? In Tasmania, the companies only deal with the person named on the contract.
- Can I see it in person or by video call with whoever manages it?
Study Australia also asks you to agree in advance on the rent, bills, cleaning and shared spaces, and to keep a copy of everything.
What if I am not in Australia yet?
The Queensland authority accepts a video viewing with whoever manages the property as a check. The Tenants' Union suggests sending someone you trust. In the meantime, see how hostels work. The limits and official websites for your state are in bond and rights, and the areas of each city in pages such as Sydney or Perth.
Sources
All opened on 5 November 2026.
- Rooms in Sydney, Gumtree (company)
- Rooms in Melbourne, Gumtree (company)
- Home page, Flatmate Finders (company)
- Pricing, Flatmate Finders (company)
- Rooms section, realestate.com.au (company, title only)
- Accommodation, Study Australia (official, undated)
- Share housing, Tenants' Union NSW (third party, July 2023)
- Boarders and lodgers, Tenants' Union NSW (third party, February 2023)
- Avoiding scams, Tenants' Union NSW (third party, June 2025)
- Getting your bond back, New South Wales Government (official)
- Sub-letting, Consumer Affairs Victoria (official)
- Rooming houses, Consumer Affairs Victoria (official)
- Share homes, Queensland RTA (official)
- Sub-letting, Queensland RTA (official)
- Rental scams, Queensland RTA (official)
- Sharing a rental home, Consumer Protection WA (official)
- Boarders and lodgers, Consumer Protection WA (official)
- Rooming houses: bond and rent, SA.GOV.AU (official, July 2024)
- Share House Living, Tenants' Union of Tasmania (third party, law as of May 2018)
- Share houses in the ACT, Tenants ACT (third party, revised on 20 October 2026)
- Boarding and Lodging, Darwin Community Legal Service (third party, no year)
- Tenants' Advice, Darwin Community Legal Service (third party)