Sub leasing inner city apartment to other people ?

Hi,

Does anyone here know if sub letting the room in your apartment where you rent is allowed in NSW ?

I'm renting in Sydney CBD two bedroom unit with one sunny room for $ 850 per week I know that it is very expensive, but I can sub-rent it as follows:

the main bedroom to a couple for $350 per week.
the secondary room to 4 other students for $125 per week (the access key is shared between four of them)

and I can just stay in the living room with the sofa bed which is practically I'm paying minimal amount of rent just to pay the utility bills.

My question is does Dept. of Fair trading concerns and investigate my rented place because I lodged multiple rental agreement to them ?
 
I doubt the deptartment of fair trading would investigate, unless they had a complaint from one of your tenants.
The property manager would like you to have your flat mates on the lease agreement however. Best to check the state legislation, it might actually be illegal to share with others without them being on the lease.

Seems like a lot of trouble to go to to pay minimal rent. 7 people sharing a 2 bedroom apartment would be a little squeezy for my liking....
 
In WA it would be illegal. It is usually set on your tenancy agreement what th maximum occupants for your place would be.

For. 2 bedroom flat it would probably be 2-4

In WA they ar prosecuting people running illegal boarding houses - the cases are more extreme than yours but the premise is the same. A place with one bathroom and one kitchen and 2 bedrooms can only have so many people.

I think 4 people sharing a room would be hell on earth and no couple would want to share at $350 having a dorm room in the other room.
 
So let's get this straight:

You are renting a 2 bedroom unit for $850 per week.

You want to sublet the main bedroom to a couple, and the other bedroom to 4 students, with you in the living room.

So that's 7 adults sharing one bathroom and one living space.

Sounds awesome
 
I can't see this working for you.

Seems like a nightmare situation. If this unit is in a complex with on-site managers or owner occupiers - you'll get in trouble for sure.

In QLD it is illegal to sub-let without the owner's permission. It's also against local government regulations to have more than 5 unrelated people living in any property, without having it registered as a boarding house.

Move into something cheaper.
 
So let's get this straight:

You are renting a 2 bedroom unit for $850 per week.

You want to sublet the main bedroom to a couple, and the other bedroom to 4 students, with you in the living room.

So that's 7 adults sharing one bathroom and one living space.

Sounds awesome


My thoughts exactly.Sounds like a Awsome experience........NOT.:(
 
So let's get this straight:

You are renting a 2 bedroom unit for $850 per week.

You want to sublet the main bedroom to a couple, and the other bedroom to 4 students, with you in the living room.

So that's 7 adults sharing one bathroom and one living space.

Sounds awesome

Yes it is,

this is the typical norms in Sydney CBD high rise apartment nowadays.
 
I can't see this working for you.

Seems like a nightmare situation. If this unit is in a complex with on-site managers or owner occupiers - you'll get in trouble for sure.

In QLD it is illegal to sub-let without the owner's permission. It's also against local government regulations to have more than 5 unrelated people living in any property, without having it registered as a boarding house.

Move into something cheaper.

Matt, this is in Sydney NSW, I believe it happens in Melbourne VIC as well.
 
I know it's in Sydney.

I just mentioned QLD legislation in case anyone was interested.

Still seems to be way too many people living in one apartment. I'm sure there would be some sort of limit on the number of people allowed to reside in a property - even solely for fire safety reasons.

It happens in Brisbane too - but the owner gets fined if anyone finds out.
 
Yep, just because a practice happens doesn't mean it's legal.

That aside, why have you decided on being the one in the lounge?

Why not have the students live in the lounge and you in the bedroom?

I think you're being too considerate ;).
 
I must say it is very common in the Sydney CBD and inner suburbs.

Councils and apartment owners are trying to stop it. You may have problems getting swipe cards a 2 bedroom apartment may restrict it to 3 cards. To get around this you see people coming home and opening letter boxes and getting the cards out so this seems to be a way of sharing cards. Some apartments are trying to stop this by indivdually issuing cards to tenants and then cancelling the card if someone else is caught using it. Then it costs $100 for a replacement card.

Its mostly students from Asian and European countries and even South Americans. I see through the window of one apartment I walk past often and it has 2 double bunk beds in one bedroom - its on the ground floor so no need for a card to get in, they probably just buzz.
 
Walk around some of the apartments in the city and you'll frequently see 2 sets of bunk beds per room, per apartment.
So that would be at least 8 adults in a 2 bedroom apartment.
Does the department of fair trading check if you rent multiple properties and lodge multiple bonds in one name?
I once met a guy who said he leased several apartments in the city and sublet them. It was his 'business'.
 
Hi,

Does anyone here know if sub letting the room in your apartment where you rent is allowed in NSW ?

I'm renting in Sydney CBD two bedroom unit with one sunny room for $ 850 per week I know that it is very expensive, but I can sub-rent it as follows:

the main bedroom to a couple for $350 per week.
the secondary room to 4 other students for $125 per week (the access key is shared between four of them)

and I can just stay in the living room with the sofa bed which is practically I'm paying minimal amount of rent just to pay the utility bills.

My question is does Dept. of Fair trading concerns and investigate my rented place because I lodged multiple rental agreement to them ?

Does it have a balcony? I reckon you could get at least two more tenants there. What about a garage?
 
Does it have a balcony? I reckon you could get at least two more tenants there. What about a garage?

Its sad that this would more than likely happen.
I don't think the OP should be also sub-leasing to people to allow him to live rent free. A bit unethical if you ask me.
 
Its sad that this would more than likely happen.
I don't think the OP should be also sub-leasing to people to allow him to live rent free. A bit unethical if you ask me.

Without permission from the landlord this whole discussion is quite moot, I'm afraid.
 
I must say it is very common in the Sydney CBD and inner suburbs.

Councils and apartment owners are trying to stop it. You may have problems getting swipe cards a 2 bedroom apartment may restrict it to 3 cards. To get around this you see people coming home and opening letter boxes and getting the cards out so this seems to be a way of sharing cards. Some apartments are trying to stop this by indivdually issuing cards to tenants and then cancelling the card if someone else is caught using it. Then it costs $100 for a replacement card.

Its mostly students from Asian and European countries and even South Americans. I see through the window of one apartment I walk past often and it has 2 double bunk beds in one bedroom - its on the ground floor so no need for a card to get in, they probably just buzz.

Yes that is correct Terry, you describe the situation exactly as it is happening now every day.
some apartment (the older one) the access card can be duplicated for a cost ~ $50 - 80.

putting it into the mailbox is also a good way to share it, so that only the mailbox key is shared or duplicated.

I also see some people access to the apartment through the garage :) to avoid the patrol guards.
 
I forgot to add I knew someone who was living in a 2 bedroom apartment which contained 12 people.

Yes, it happens in Regis 1 2 3 apartment in Castlereagh Sydney :)
the living room is partitioned and also the sunny room is covered by cardboxes / newspaper for shared by 2 persons.
 
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