Revealed: Where Victoria’s rooming houses are located

Residents living near rooming houses say they are riddled with crime, drug use and other anti-social behaviour. See if there’s one near you.

The Melbourne suburbs with the most rooming houses can be revealed, with some residents who live near these houses complaining they are riddled with crime, drug use and other anti-social behaviour.

The Herald Sun can reveal Clayton, which is home to Monash University, is the suburb with the most rooming houses, with 173 multi-tenant houses.

Burwood, which is also home to Deakin University, came in second at 81, ahead of Frankston (76), Dandenong (75), St Kilda (38), Footscray (35), Malvern (32), Brunswick (24), Bundoora (23) and Noble Park (22).

Classified as community housing, rooming houses are meant to provide homes for Victorians who have been homeless or who are not able to live in private rental accommodation.

But dozens of residents living near a notorious rooming house on Albion St, Caulfield South, say they are fearing for their safety.

The rooming house has been busted as a cannabis crop house twice in the past 18 months.

Neighbours say the people living within the rooming house have “terrorised” them, with rocks being thrown at properties, thefts taking place and fights breaking out in the middle of the road – sometimes involving machetes.

Adrienne, who lives near two rooming houses on Albion St, said 40 of her neighbours have signed a petition calling for one of them to be shut down.

“Since these places have been made into rooming houses, there’s a lot of crime that goes on,” she said.

“It’s very frightening.

“I had to build a big fence at the front (of my house) because I never feel safe.”

CCTV captured a fight between two men, with one wielding a cricket bat, outside the front of a rooming house on Albion St, Caulfield South.

Adrienne said a naked woman had been terrorising residents in recent months, knocking on doors in an agitated state and throwing rocks at neighbouring properties.

“This is not how we want to live,” she said.

Another resident said crime and anti-social behaviour at the rooming house was “out of control”.

“The council is doing nothing,” he said.

“We are even too scared to walk down the street.

“We shouldn’t be forced to live in these conditions.

“We have seen drug dealing, fights and theft – it needs to stop. Some of the people living there are clearly fresh out of jail or ex-crooks. It’s really bad.”

CCTV captured the seizure of cannabis plants by Victoria Police from a rooming house on Albion St, Caulfield South.

In April last year, 100 cannabis plants were seized from the Albion St rooming house after police were called following a dispute between parties.

A man was arrested and charged with cultivating and possessing cannabis before being convicted and fined.

But nine months later, investigators seized 193 cannabis plants, magic mushroom tablets and prescription medication from the property.

A man and woman were arrested and later charged with cultivating and trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis.

Cannabis plants were seized from the property twice in 18 months.

Consumer Affairs data reveals the suburbs with the most rooming houses include Clayton (174), Burwood (83), Frankston (76), Dandenong (75), St Kilda (38), Footscray (35), Brunswick (27) and Bundoora (23).

The Herald Sun has also been made aware of complaints about rooming houses in Frankston, West Melbourne and Dandenong.

One resident, who was living in a rooming house in St Kilda, said he was left “disgusted” after finding mice and cockroaches in his room.

“The place was absolutely filthy, no one could live in those conditions,” he said.

“I also felt unsafe as there was a lot of drug dealing and fights. I got out as fast as I could. There needs to be more checks and balances.”

Glen Eira Bayside Local Area Commander, Inspector Cath Wilkins, said police are aware of a number of incidents connected to a residential facility on Albion Street.

“Local police are tasked to conduct regular highly visible patrols in the area to detect and deter crime, following concerns raised by the community in relation to public order,” Insp Wilkins said.

“In addition to this, we are also working closely with the Glen Eira council and other government agencies to address community concerns. Where appropriate police provide referrals to vulnerable members of the community.

“The majority of incidents that police attend in the area relate to public order and not violent crimes committed against another person.”

Some Melbourne rooming houses are plagued with drug use and pests.

Caulfield MP David Southwick said he has been fighting for his constituents on Albion St for over six years.

“Residents are sick of living in fear and don’t want buck-passing between the Minister, the Premier, Consumer Affairs Victoria and Victoria Police and just want it fixed,” he said.

“Fixing the loopholes in the legislation which governs rooming houses which allows rogue operators to profit from vulnerable residents and cause chaos and safety issues for neighbours must be done immediately.

“The legislation which governs rooming houses is a mess and responsibilities are shared between local government and a number of Ministers in state government, which ultimately means no-one is responsible.”

Glen Eira City Council chief executive Rebecca McKenzie said many agencies are responsible for rooming houses.

“While we have been proactively responding to matters within council’s responsibility, many of the concerns are not within council’s control so we have also been working with various other agencies that play a role in regulating aspects of the rooming house industry.

“Glen Eira City Council has been calling on the state government to change the way that rooming houses are regulated.”

A Consumer Affairs Victoria spokeswoman said rooming houses must register with a council.

“Councils may take action if a property is operating as a rooming house without being registered,” she said.

A state government spokeswoman said: “Councils are responsible for ensuring rooming houses are registered, are complying with public health and wellbeing minimum standards and that any public amenity issues are addressed.”

“Rooming house operators must also ensure their rooming house complies with specific rooming house minimum standards relating to privacy, security, safety and amenity for the residents,” she said.

The Herald Sun has attempted to contact Melbourne Home Share, the rooming house operator who runs the house on Albion St.