Accommodation premises where six or more guests (who are not part of the proprietor’s family) are living must be registered with Latrobe City Council under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic). Rooming or boarding houses where four or more residents are living must also be registered.
Prescribed accommodation includes residential accommodation, hotels, motels, hostels, bed and breakfast operations, student accommodation and holiday camps.
See Health (Prescribed Accommodation) Regulations 2001 for more information.
Starting a New Accommodation Business or Buying an Existing Business?
You must complete a Business Approvals Application form and submit all floor plans for proposed prescribed accommodation premises and/or any proposed alterations to a building.
New Accommodation Operation
Floor plan
You must submit detailed floor plans, drawn to scale (1:100), with your application. The plans must indicate the proposed use of each room including the location of beds, toilets, baths, kitchens, showers or washbasins.
You should also provide the maximum number of people who will live in each room used for sleeping along with the floor area in square metres. Floor plans must comply with the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009.
Final inspection
When construction and fit-out is complete, contact our Health Services Unit to arrange an appointment with an Environmental Health Officer to conduct a final inspection. When completed Council will issue you with the Certificate of Registration if building meets the Public health and Wellbeing Regulations fit out.
You should also provide Council with the certificate of compliance from your registered building surveyor.
Please note: you may need to apply for a planning permit for the proposed development as well as a building permit for a change of use, occupancy permit or need physical changes in the building.
The business registration runs from 1 January through to 31 December of each year. An application to renew the registration will be sent out to you in October of each year.
Purchasing an Existing Presrcibed Accommodation Business
Before you purchase a prescribed accommodation business you should:
- Check with Latrobe City to determine if the business has current registration.
- Complete the a Business Approvals Application form which provides Council the permission from current owner to provide you with a copy of the inspection report.
- An Environmental health Officer will conduct a pre-transfer inspection of the business.
This will identify any works that may need to be done to ensure that it complies with the Public Health and Wellbeing Act and Regulations.
Council will issue you with invoice in relation to the transfer of registration. Upon payment we will issue you with an updated Certificate of Registration.
Note: Operating a prescribed accommodation premises without registration is an offence under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act and you could be fined up to $7000 (individual) or $35,000 (body corporate).