Submission to Residential Tenancies Review

PBSA is currently covered by the RTA under the definition of ‘rooming house’ and/or more generally by the definition of ‘residential tenancy agreement’.

While private sector owned and operated student accommodation is covered by the RTA, student accommodation that is located on university campuses is exempt under Part 1(3:5) of the RTA. 

This gives rise to a number of issues as the RTA fails to define PBSA as its own specific housing type, and operates must instead work to make themselves fit within the definition of a ‘rooming house’ or private ‘residential premises’, despite neither of these classifications being fit for purpose in the PBSA context.