The Resi-Rental Home: A Smarter, Smaller Solution to Australia’s Housing Crisis
The Resi-Rental Home is an innovative housing model developed by the Future Housing Taskforce in response to the rising demand for more flexible, affordable, and sustainable residential options. This dual-purpose home provides a unique integration of private owner-occupied living with purpose-built rental accommodation—designed to help address Australia’s growing housing and rental affordability crisis.
Responding to a Changing Housing Landscape
Australia is experiencing a significant shift in household composition and housing affordability. With single-person households becoming the fastest-growing demographic, and with increasing pressure on both rental markets and housing supply, traditional development models are no longer sufficient.
Key challenges include:
A projected shortfall of over 640,000 affordable homes by 2036
Rapidly declining rental affordability in major cities and regions
Growing demand for low-maintenance, efficient housing options
The Resi-Rental Home provides a practical and high-yield response to these challenges while supporting broader housing diversity and community needs.
What Is a Resi-Rental Home?
The Resi-Rental Home (also known as the Smarter Smaller Home 4) is a five-bedroom residence designed to function both as a primary residence for the owner and as a compliant, income-generating rooming house. It features:
- A private one-bedroom living area for the owner, with dedicated entry, kitchen facilities, bathroom, and living space
- Four additional purpose-built rental rooms, each with its own ensuite and access to shared amenities such as kitchen and laundry facilities
- A layout designed to meet Class 1B or other rooming accommodation standards, depending on location and council requirements
The design is tailored to blend into typical suburban streetscapes.
Key Features
- Designed for privacy and long-term livability
- Provides an opportunity for downsizers, early retirees, or single adults to reside on-site without, offering separation and privacy from the tenants.
- Fully separated from the rental areas in terms of layout and amenity access
- Four lockable, en-suited rooms, each with a separate bedroom, lounge/dining area, kitchenette and patio
- Shared laundry facilities
- Meets planning and compliance standards for rooming accommodation
- Designed for optimal privacy and functionality
- Can be adapted to suit various lot sizes and site orientations
- Incorporates energy-efficient principles and materials, including solar power
Benefits
- Enables secure living arrangements while generating rental income from the same site
- Reduces living costs during retirement or periods of reduced income
- Offers flexibility to lease the primary living area in the future if circumstances change
- Affordable rent: Lower weekly rates than traditional units, with utilities included.
- Private rooms: Each tenant has their own lockable room with everything they need for comfort and privacy.
- Modern, quality design: Newly built homes with professional finishes and well-maintained shared spaces.
- Quiet, independent living: Ideal for single tenants seeking privacy with minimal shared interaction.
- Great locations: Typically located in urban areas close to public transport, shops, and employment centres.
- Adds new rental supply and densification without the need for high-rise or multi-unit development
- Provides affordable, high-quality housing options for key workers, students, singles, and older Australians
- Encourages more diverse and integrated housing forms within suburban areas
Use Case: Retirement-Oriented Living
The pioneers of the Resi-Rental home of Rodger and Robyn Macqueen, who are preparing for retirement by adopting the Resi-Rental model. Their home in Deagon includes a private living space for themselves and four rental rooms on the ground floor. This enables them to enjoy a travel-focused lifestyle, whilst generating regular income – all while contributing to Brisbane’s affordable housing supply.
Strategic Alignment
The Resi-Rental Home supports the Future Housing Taskforce’s mission to:
- Increase the supply of affordable and accessible housing
- Enable private citizens to participate in housing solutions
- Demonstrate replicable models that can be adopted across multiple jurisdictions
This model has been developed in collaboration with planners, builders, designers, to ensure it meets regulatory requirements while addressing real-world needs.
Next Steps
We are actively working with local governments, developers, and financiers to support the broader rollout of this model across Queensland and other states. Priority actions include:
- Streamlining local approval pathways
- Engaging aligned property investors and landowners
- Supporting demonstration projects in diverse communities
The Resi-Rental Home is a home owner driven response to one of Australia’s most pressing social and economic challenges. It enables everyday Australians to contribute to the housing solution – while delivering real impact in the form of more diverse, affordable, and sustainable housing.