The Homee Summary: Before moving into a share house, ask about money (rent, bond, bills, notice period), the lease (who’s on it and where your bond goes), and daily life (cleaning, guests, noise, and how long current housemates have stayed). The answers reveal more than any inspection photo. Below are the 12 questions that matter, and what each answer really tells you.
Most renters inspect the room. Few inspect the household.
That’s a mistake. The room won’t decide whether you stay twelve months or flee in three. The people and the setup will. With 43% of share-house renters pushed into shared living by affordability pressures, more people than ever are moving in with strangers. These 12 questions turn strangers into known quantities. Domain
Ask them at the inspection or in chat beforehand. Anyone who dodges them is answering you anyway.
Money Questions
1. What’s the total weekly cost, including bills?
Don’t accept “rent is $350” as a full answer. Ask for rent plus electricity, gas, water usage, and internet.
Bills typically add $30 to $60 a week. Over a year, that’s the difference between two suburbs. If bills are split, ask how: evenly, by usage, or by room size?
2. How is the bond handled?
In NSW, bond is capped at four weeks’ rent. It must be lodged with NSW Fair Trading through Rental Bonds Online, and you should get a lodgement receipt.
Cash bond to someone’s personal account with no receipt? That’s not a bond. That’s a red flag.
3. What’s the notice period if I want to leave?
Standard is two weeks in informal arrangements. Get it in writing.
Also ask the reverse: how much notice would they give you? The answer should be the same number. If it isn’t, you’ve learned something.
4. Are there any upcoming costs I should know about?
Rent reviews, a lease renewal, a landlord planning to sell. Houses for sale mean open homes through your bedroom and a possible forced move.
Asking this one question can save you from moving twice in six months.
Lease and Legal Questions
5. Who is on the lease, and will I be?
This is the most important question on the list. Your rights depend on it.
On the lease: You’re a co-tenant with full tenancy rights.
Renting from a head tenant: You’re a sub-tenant. Your rights are different, and weaker in some situations.
Neither is wrong. But you need to know which one you are. The Tenants’ Union of NSW explains both setups in plain English (tenants.org.au).
6. Does the landlord know I’m moving in?
If a head tenant is subletting without permission, the landlord can end the arrangement. You’d have little protection.
A simple “yes, the landlord approved it” with the landlord’s or agent’s contact detail is all you need.
Daily Life Questions
7. How does cleaning work?
A roster? A cleaner everyone chips in for? “We all just pitch in”?
Be wary of that last one. “We all just pitch in” usually means one person pitches in and quietly resents everyone. Ask to see the kitchen and bathroom at the inspection. They’re the honest answer.
8. What’s the guest and partner policy?
Can your partner stay three nights a week? Can friends crash after a night out?
There’s no right answer. There’s only a mismatch. A house that says “we keep it quiet” and a partner who stays five nights is a conflict with a start date.
9. What are the noise and schedule expectations?
Ask what time the house goes quiet. Then ask what everyone’s work schedule looks like.
A shift worker sleeping days and a WFH housemate on calls in the living room can clash without anyone being wrong. Better to know now.
10. How long has everyone lived here, and why did the last person leave?
This is the question most renters never ask. It’s the most revealing one.
Long stays signal a happy house. A revolving door signals a problem nobody mentions at inspections. And “why did the last person leave?” produces the most honest sixty seconds of the whole conversation. Watch how they answer, not just what they say.
Compatibility Questions
11. What do you actually want in a housemate?
Some houses want a friend for dinners and Sunday trips. Others want a polite ghost who pays on time.
Both are fine. Pretending to be one when you’re the other is how three-month exits happen. This is exactly why Hommee shows housemate profiles alongside listings. You can check work habits, social style, pets and routines before you spend an evening on an inspection.
12. Can I see the flatmate agreement, or can we write one?
A simple written agreement covering rent, bond, bills, notice and house rules protects everyone. It takes ten minutes.
If the answer is “we don’t need anything written down”, remember this: people who plan to keep their word don’t mind writing it down.
The Pattern Behind All 12
Notice what these questions have in common. None of them are about the room.
The room is what listings sell. The household is what you live in. With Sydney vacancy at a record low of 0.8%, it’s tempting to grab the first decent room and skip the questions. Resist that. A bad share house costs you a bond claim, a sudden move, and months of stress. Domain.com.au
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FAQ: Moving Into a Share House
What should I check before moving into a share house?
Total weekly cost including bills, how the bond is lodged, whether you’re on the lease, the notice period, and how long current housemates have stayed. Get the key terms in writing.
Should I sign a flatmate agreement?
Yes. A simple written agreement covering rent, bond, bills and notice protects everyone. It matters most when you’re not on the main lease.
Is it safe to pay bond directly to a housemate?
Only with a written receipt, and in NSW the bond should be lodged with Fair Trading through Rental Bonds Online. Never pay cash with no paper trail.
What’s the difference between being on the lease and subletting?
On the lease, you’re a co-tenant with full tenancy rights. Subletting from a head tenant gives you fewer protections. Always ask which one you’re signing up for.
How do I know if housemates are a good fit?
Ask about cleaning, guests, noise and what they want in a housemate. Better yet, review their profiles before inspecting. Compatibility predicts how long you’ll stay more than the room does.
