Renting out a room in your house to a FIFO worker can suit both sides. They are away for part of every cycle, they need somewhere quiet to recover between swings, and the rent arrives every week whether they are home or on site. Before you advertise, sort out four things: which WA rules apply to your arrangement, how much to ask, how you will take bond and rent, and what the extra income means at tax time.
This guide is for owners with a spare room and for households replacing a housemate. Legal and tax points come from Consumer Protection WA, Circle Green Community Legal and the Australian Taxation Office, checked in October 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Why do Perth hosts like FIFO housemates?
Because the roster works in the host's favour. A housemate on a two-weeks-on, one-week-off roster uses the kitchen, the bathroom and the washing machine one week in three. Perth hosts say it plainly in their ads: "Ideal for FIFO full time workers", or a room offered at a lower rent "because you're barely home". One host turned the absences into a deal: "Happy to discount rent for weeks I'm away if you're happy to dog-sit!"
FIFO workers describe themselves the same way in room groups: "clean, respectful and very quiet. I don't smoke, drink or party". Most of them are looking for what one group of FIFO workers called "a comfortable place to call home between our FIFO swings", not a party house.
The other side is worth knowing before you say yes. The room is theirs for the whole cycle, including the weeks they are away. Their first day back is often spent asleep. And the roster decides when they can view a room, sign and move in. FIFO rosters explained shows what each roster means in nights at home.
What does a FIFO worker look for in a room?
From the requests we read in Perth room groups, the same points come back again and again:
- A quiet house between swings. "A comfortable, quiet and friendly place between swings", as one host ad put it.
- A room that stays theirs while they are away. Their things stay in the room for two or three weeks at a time. A door that locks, and a clear rule that nobody uses the room while they are on site, matter more than a big wardrobe.
- Parking. Some drive to the airport, some leave a car at home for the whole swing. Say whether there is a space off the street.
- Airport access. People flying in and out every cycle care about the drive to Perth Airport more than the drive to the city.
- Bills included, or a clear split. Agree whether being away changes their share of power and internet.
- Pets, in both directions. Some want to bring a cat that stays while they are on site. Some are happy to look after yours.
- Flexible minimum stays. Some only need the room for their days off. Others want months.
Put the answers to these in your ad. Anyone who replies has then read them.
Will they be a boarder, a lodger or a tenant?
This is the question that decides which rules apply to you, so answer it before you write the ad.
- You own the house and live in it. The person who moves in is likely to be a boarder or lodger. Consumer Protection WA lists the signs: the landlord, or someone they appoint, lives with them, the landlord provides extra services such as meals or laundry, and there are house rules set by the landlord, who enforces them. Circle Green Community Legal lists the same kind of factors, with examples of house rules such as no guests or no noise after a certain time. Boarders usually get meals or other services, such as linen, laundry or cleaning, and lodgers do not. The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 does not apply.
- You own the house but do not live in it, and let rooms one by one. Each person is likely to be a tenant with their own agreement, under the Residential Tenancies Act.
- You rent the house yourself. Consumer Protection WA says a head tenant needs the lessor's or agent's permission to sub-let. The person who moves in is then usually a sub-tenant, also under the Act.
Only a court can settle the question in a dispute, and Circle Green notes that calling someone a lodger in the agreement does not make them one. The full comparison is in rooming house, boarder or housemate: what's the difference in WA?.
Boarders and lodgers (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
How much rent should you charge for a room?
There is no official room-rent figure to copy, so price the room from the market around you.
- Look at rooms advertised now in your suburb and the ones next to it. Compare like with like: own bathroom or shared, furnished or not, bills included or not, parking or street.
- Check how long ads stay up. A room at the same price that is still advertised after several weeks is a sign the price is high.
- Decide what the rent includes. "Bills included" is easier for someone who is away half the time, but cost it before you promise it.
- Decide your position on absences in advance. Some hosts charge the same every week because the room is held. Some offer a lower rent for a housemate who is barely home. Either is fine if it is written down.
If your housemate will be a tenant, the 2024 reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act limit rent increases to once every 12 months, so the starting rent matters more than you might think.
What should the agreement say?
Put everything in writing before any money changes hands.
If they will be a boarder or lodger, there is no compulsory form. Consumer Protection WA's advice is that both sides understand and agree to all the terms before signing, that any change is agreed in writing, and that each side always keeps a copy of the signed agreement. Cover at least:
- weekly rent, the day it is due and how it is paid
- what the rent includes, and how other bills are split
- the bond: how much, what it can be used for and when it comes back
- notice on both sides
- the house rules that matter to you, and whether the room is off limits while they are away
- the condition of the room on the day they move in, with dated photos
Consumer Protection WA says a boarder's or lodger's landlord can end the agreement at any time, without giving a reason, unless the agreement says otherwise, and must give reasonable notice. Writing your notice periods down protects both of you.
If they will be a tenant or sub-tenant, the rules are stricter. Consumer Protection WA says written rental agreements must use the standard Form 1AA ("You can not make your own or use AI"), the tenant must receive an information statement before moving in, and the landlord must give two copies of the property condition report within seven days of the tenancy starting.
A short, written set of house rules sits well alongside either agreement.
Rental agreements (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
How should you handle bond and rent?
| Boarder or lodger | Tenant or sub-tenant | |
|---|---|---|
| Bond amount | Whatever you agree in writing | Up to four weeks' rent, unless the rent is over $1,200 a week |
| Who holds the bond | You. Bonds Administration does not hold boarder and lodger bonds | Bonds Administration, lodged within 14 days of being paid |
| Rent in advance | Whatever you agree | Up to two weeks |
| Paying rent | As agreed. A bank transfer leaves a record for both sides | At least one fee-free way to pay, and a receipt for rent paid |
Sources: Consumer Protection WA, Rental bonds, Paying rent and Boarders and lodgers, checked October 2026.
Whatever the arrangement, give a receipt for the bond and keep a record of every payment. With a boarder or lodger, the bond stays with you, so the written agreement and the receipt are the only proof of what was paid and why. Circle Green notes that a text or email describing the amount as a "bond" is the kind of evidence a court will look for.
Rental bonds (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
Do you pay tax on rent from a room?
Usually, yes. The ATO says rent you receive for renting out part or all of your home is assessable income, and must be declared in your tax return.
- Deductions. If you rent out only part of your home, such as a single room, the ATO says you can claim expenses related to that part only, and nothing for periods when the room was not rented. Expenses it lists include a share of council rates, home loan interest, electricity and gas, property insurance, cleaning and maintenance, and platform fees.
- Capital gains tax. The ATO says you are not entitled to the full main residence exemption if you rent out part of your home. You may get a partial exemption, and the part used to earn rent can be subject to CGT when you sell.
How these rules apply to your house depends on your situation. A registered tax agent or the ATO itself can tell you; we cannot.
Renting out part of a home (ATO)ato.gov.au
What else should you check before you advertise?
- Your mortgage, strata or lease. A lender, a strata scheme or, if you rent, your landlord may have rules about lodgers. Read them first.
- Your home insurance. Ask your insurer whether the policy still covers you, and your contents, with a paying lodger in the house.
- The rest of the house. If others already live there, agree on the new person together. A housemate the house did not choose rarely lasts.
Which scams target hosts?
Scams are usually aimed at people looking for a room, but hosts get caught too.
- Your photos in someone else's ad. WA ScamNet warns that scammers posing as owners copy photos and details from real listings to take upfront rent and bond. Search your own address and photos from time to time. If you find a copy, report it to WA ScamNet on 1300 30 40 54.
- The overpayment. Scamwatch lists the warning sign: someone sends a cheque or payment for more than the agreed amount and asks you to refund the difference. Wait until the money has actually cleared in your account, and never "refund" an overpayment.
- The applicant who cannot meet. Someone who wants to secure the room without seeing it, from overseas or "on site", and asks for your bank details or a copy of your ID first. Meet at the house, ideally with someone else home. For a FIFO worker, a video call can come first, but the meeting comes before the agreement.
- Your own documents. Do not send copies of your ID or bills to someone you have not met.
The full list of warning signs is in rental scams in Perth, and choosing between genuine applicants is covered in how to find a housemate in Perth.
Fake rental advertisements (WA ScamNet)scamnet.wa.gov.au
Where Kipmates fits
Kipmates is a room-share marketplace launching in Perth, built first for FIFO workers and the households that suit them. Seekers put their roster on their profile, so you know someone's pattern before you reply. You can mark your house as FIFO-friendly. A listing shows the weekly rent, the move-in date and an approximate area, never your street address, and every conversation stays in on-platform messaging, so your phone number is not public. Hosts verify their ID before their listing is shown, and replying to seekers is always free for hosts. Kipmates never handles the rent or the bond: that stays between you and your housemate.
During pre-launch, founding hosts can list their room free for the launch period, with no card. The founding host terms, including the founding price you keep for as long as your subscription stays active, are on the founding hosts page.
Got a room? We've got your back. Start here, or go straight to list a room.
FAQ
Are FIFO workers good housemates?
Many Perth hosts think so, and say it in their ads: "Ideal for FIFO full time workers". Someone on a two-weeks-on, one-week-off roster is home one week in three, while the rent arrives every week. Agree in writing that the room stays theirs while they are away, and how bills are split.
Is a person renting a room in my house a boarder or a tenant in WA?
If you own the house and live in it, they are likely to be a boarder or lodger, who is not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act. If you do not live there, or if you sub-let a home you rent, they are more likely to be a tenant or sub-tenant under the Act. Only a court can decide in a dispute.
Do I have to lodge a lodger's bond with Bonds Administration?
No. Consumer Protection WA says Bonds Administration does not hold boarder and lodger bonds. For tenants and sub-tenants, the bond must be lodged with Bonds Administration within 14 days of being paid (checked October 2026).
Is there a standard lodger agreement in WA?
No compulsory form exists for boarders and lodgers. Consumer Protection WA advises putting the terms in writing, agreeing any change in writing, and keeping a signed copy. Tenancies are different: written rental agreements must use Form 1AA.
Do I pay tax on rent from a room in my house?
Generally, yes. The ATO says rent from renting out part of your home is assessable income. You can claim expenses for the rented part only, and you may lose part of the main residence exemption from capital gains tax. Check your own situation with the ATO or a registered tax agent.
Can I charge a FIFO worker less because they are away?
You can charge whatever you both agree. Some Perth hosts offer a lower rent to someone who is barely home, others charge the full rent because the room is held for them. Write the rent, and whether absences change it, into the agreement.
Sources
Checked October 2026.
- Boarders and lodgers and From the Commissioner: boarders' and lodgers' rights explained (17 September 2025), Consumer Protection WA.
- Rental agreements, Consumer Protection WA.
- Rental bonds and Paying rent, Consumer Protection WA.
- Sharing a rental home and New rental reforms move in this month (10 July 2024), Consumer Protection WA.
- Boarders and Lodgers fact sheet, Circle Green Community Legal.
- Renting out part of a home and Using your home for rental or business, Australian Taxation Office.
- Fake rental advertisements, WA ScamNet, Consumer Protection WA.
- Buying and selling scams, Scamwatch, National Anti-Scam Centre.
