If you are single and on a low income, finding housing in Adelaide can feel overwhelming. There are options, but every option has trade-offs. Some are cheaper but less secure. Some offer more privacy but cost more. Some are easier to get into but come with more risk.
This article is not about telling you which option is “best”. It is about helping you understand the pros and cons of each option, helping you make a more informed decision.
Best for: Short-term help while you look for a more stable housing option.
Pros: Usually cheaper, faster, and more familiar.
Cons: Usually temporary. It can damage the relationship if expectations are unclear. If the arrangement is informal, you may have less tenancy security.
Cost: Low or informal contribution. Sometimes it may be free, depending on the relationship.
Check: Food, bills, how long you can stay, privacy, house rules, and impact on the relationship.
Examples: Flatmates.com.au, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, private room listings.
Best for: People needing cheaper rent quickly.
Pros: Many options across different suburbs. Often cheaper than renting alone. Some rooms include bills such as electricity, gas, water or internet.
Cons: Quality varies. Some homes may have unclear rules, no proper screening, no written rental agreement, or no clear process for handling conflict. If a tenant is subleasing the room, they may or may not have permission to do so.
Cost: Weekly room rent. Bills may be included or extra.
Example only: Adelaide Postcode 5000 - Flatmates.com.au average weekly room rent was around $339, dated 22 June 2026.
Check: Written agreement, bond, bills, furniture, house rules, who manages the house, whether subleasing is allowed, and how housemates are screened.
You can check share house platforms. See the “Helpful resources” section below.
Examples: Share houses managed by a property manager, landlord, or property owner with clearer systems. Flatmates.com.au, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree
Best for: People who want structure, house rules, and clearer expectations.
Pros: Usually more formal. May include screening, written lease agreement, house rules, clearer communication, and a process for dealing with problems.
Cons: Harder to get accepted. Less personal control than living alone. You still share common areas with other people.
Cost: Weekly room rent. Bills may be included or extra depending on the provider.
Check: Bond, electricity, gas, internet, furniture, minimum lease term, house rules, visitor rules, cleaning expectations, and how complaints are handled.
Best for: People who need a high level of privacy, independence, and control.
Pros: More privacy. Your own space. More freedom to decorate and live the way you like. You may have your own garden or outdoor area depending on the property.
Cons: More expensive. Utilities such as electricity, gas, water and internet are usually extra. It can be harder to afford on a low income.
Cost: Weekly rent.
Example only: Realestate.com.au showed 1-bedroom units in Adelaide Postcode 5000 around $550 per week, dated 22 June 2026.
Check: Bond, electricity, gas, water, internet, furniture, transport costs, lease length, and whether the total cost fits your weekly budget.
Best for: People who meet eligibility rules and want subsidised housing outside the private rental market.
Pros: Rent is usually income-based, which may make it more affordable than renting privately. It may offer more privacy and independence than share housing if you are offered a self-contained property.
Cons: Housing SA or community housing eligibility rules apply. Waiting times can be long. Utilities costs are extra.
Cost: Often income-based. SA Housing rent is commonly calculated based on assessable income, with different rules depending on income level and housing type.
Check: Eligibility, income limits, waiting times, location options, bond, utilities, and what documents are required.
You can check registration requirements for public housing. See the“Helpful resources” section below.
Best for: Crisis situations where someone needs urgent short-term accommodation.
Pros: Designed for people needing immediate housing support or temporary safety.
Cons: Short-term. Not a long-term housing plan. Availability depends on personal circumstances and service capacity.
Cost: May be low-cost depending on the service and situation.
Check: Eligibility, length of stay, what support is provided, food costs, transport, and next-step housing options.
You can check out Emergency Housing. See the “Helpfulresources” section below.
Best for: People who have someone they trust and who has a stable income source.
Pros: Lower cost than renting alone. More privacy than a larger share house. You may have more control over who you live with.
Cons: If the other person leaves, stops paying rent, or creates conflict, you may be responsible for more of the rent or may need to move.
Cost: Shared weekly rent plus shared bills.
Check: Whose name is on the lease, how rent is split, how bills are paid, what happens if one person leaves, bond, furniture, and compatibility.
Best for: Travellers or people with flexible lifestyle needs.
Pros: You may get free accommodation, or sometimes be paid to house sit, in exchange for looking after someone’s home or pets.
Cons: Temporary. You need to apply and be accepted. It may not suit people who need stable Adelaide-based housing, regular work location, medical support, or a long-term home.
Cost: Usually low accommodation costs, but you still need to budget for food, travel, storage, fuel, and moving between places.
Check: Length of stay, duties required, pet care, location, references needed, travel costs, and what happens after the house-sitting period ends.
Prices change quickly, so always check current listings and ask what is included before comparing options.
Your decision is personal. There is no one “best” housing option for everyone.
For some people, price is the biggest factor. For others, location matters most because of work, medical appointments, support services, family, or transport. Some people need high level of privacy. Some people need safety and stability more than anything else.
Work out your weekly income, then subtract your necessary expenses such as food, medical costs, transport, phone, debt repayments, and other regular bills. Then look at what is realistically left for rent.
Also check what is included. A cheaper room may not be cheaper if electricity, gas, internet, water, furniture, or transport costs are extra.
As an ex-accountant, I always like to leave some buffer. Life happens. Things break. Medical costs come up. Cars need repairs. If the rent takes every spare dollar, the housing may not be sustainable.
Before deciding what you can afford, also check whether you may be eligible for government rent and bond financial support.
If you receive a Centrelink payment and pay rent, you may be eligible for Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
In South Australia, SA Housing Trust also has private rental assistance programs that may help eligible people with costs such as bond and rent in advance.
See "Helpful resources" section below for Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs places basic needs like shelter, sleep and safety as first human needs. In simple terms, it is hard to build a stable life if your housing does not feel safe.
So, I would not only ask, “How much is the rent?” I would ask, “Is this place safe, legitimate, and well managed?”
I would ask:
· Is this place safe?
· Is this arrangement legitimate?
· Who manages the house?
· Who else lives there?
· Are there clear house rules?
· What happens if there is a problem?
Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed. But you can ask better questions to reduce the risk.
After looking at the different housing options, you may feel that share housing could work for your budget, location, or current situation.
Before choosing a room, I would slow down and ask better questions.
Share housing is not just about the rent or the bedroom. It is also about safety, legality, housemate compatibility, house rules, and how the home is managed.
These are the questions I would ask before choosing a share house.
Are they the owner, the property manager, the landlord, or a tenant subleasing the room?
If they are subleasing, do they have permission?
If they are a property manager, you can check their licence number on CBS public register.
This matters because you want to know whether the arrangement is legitimate before you pay rent, bond, or move in.
See the "Helpful resources" section below for CBS public register.
This is something many people do not think to ask.
If someone is renting out multiple rooms, I would want to know whether they have done their research or due diligence in three areas:
For example, depending on the property setup, number of rooms, number of occupants, and local council building and planning rules, extra licensing, fire-safety requirements, or council approval may apply.
In South Australia, if there are 2 or more rooms available to rent in a residential property, it is classified as “Rooming house” according to the SA tenancy laws. The landlord is called the proprietor, and the tenants are called residents.
Rooming house tenancies are regulated under South Australian tenancy law (Residential Tenancies Act 1995). This includes things like proprietor and resident rights and responsibilities, house rules, and written rooming house agreements.
Rooming houses with 5 or more rooms to rent are called designated rooming houses. Proprietors of designated rooming houses must be registered with Consumer and Business Services.
You can check the CBS public register for designated rooming house proprietors.
Depending on the council area, number of people living in the house, and how the property is being used, extra council requirements may apply.
You can call the local council area to ask whether approval is required for that shared property.
According to the Housing Safety Authority South Australia, minimum housing standards apply to residential premises occupied under a rooming house agreement.
Minimum housing standards include:
· smoke alarms in each bedroom
· bedroom minimum floor space
· locks on bedroom doors
· bedroom windows with privacy coverings
· sufficient power points
At minimum, I would want to know:
· Are smoke alarms tested and maintained?
· Does each bedroom have a proper lock?
· Does each bedroom meet minimum size requirements?
· Has the property been approved or checked for share house purpose?
Again, this is about safety and basic standards. A cheap room is not cheap if the house is unsafe or poorly managed.
A written agreement helps set expectations upfront.
It gives more clarity around rent, bond, services, utilities, notice periods, house rules, and what happens if something goes wrong.
As mentioned above, if there are 2 or more rooms available to rent in a residential property, it is classified as “Rooming House” in South Australia tenancy laws. In this case, “each bedroom must be occupied with its own rooming house agreement”.
Do they check references?
Do they ask about lifestyle compatibility?
Do they screen you as well?
This matters because share housing is not just about the room. It is about the people you live with. Example of my real life, I go to bed at 9pm when my daughter makes food in kitchen loudly at 11pm at night, waking me up.
Sometimes share housing does not work, not because anyone is bad, but because people’s living styles are not compatible even living with family members.
House rules matter in share housing.
Ask about cleaning, visitors, noise, smoking, alcohol, drugs, shared areas, and conflict handling.
A house without clear expectations may feel flexible at first, but it can become stressful later.
In a rooming house, house rules should be in writing and displayed where residents can see them.
Ask whether electricity, gas, water, internet, furniture, and cleaning products are included or extra.
From more than 10 years of share-house experience, I can say this honestly: some people do not have a good experience in share housing.
Sometimes nobody has done anything wrong. The living styles are simply not compatible.
If you have lived on your own for a long time, you may be used to having your home exactly the way you like it. You may like your own decorations, candles, fragrances, music, TV habits, visitors, or routines.
In a share house, common areas are shared by everyone. Not everyone will like your decorating style, your fragrance, your music preference, or your habits. Some smells can even trigger breathing difficulty or allergies for other people. Yes, I have seen this happen in real share houses.
Share housing may not be right for you if you want full control over your living environment.
That does not make you wrong. It just means you need to choose the housing option that fits your needs.
If you are considering an Iris share house, you can view current rooms and read our house rules before applying. We want people to understand what share housing is really like before they move in.
This article is general information only. It is not legal, financial, tenancy, or housing advice.
Housing rules, eligibility, rent support, council requirements, and tenancy obligations can change. Your situation may also be different depending on the property, agreement type, council area, income, visa or residency status, and personal circumstances.
Before making a housing decision, check the official government sources or contact the relevant service directly.
If you need legal advice about your tenancy rights or housing situation, speak with a qualified legal service or tenancy advice service in South Australia.
· https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting/renting-from-a-community-group/community-housing-rents-and-other-charges
· https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing-and-property/renting-and-letting/public-housing/tenants/rent-water-and-other-charges/rent-in-public-housing
· https://lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/print/ch23s04.php?lscsa_prod%5Bpage%5D=22
· https://mindahome.com.au/
· https://flatmates.com.au/value-my-room/adelaide-5000
· https://ablis.business.gov.au/service/sa/lodging-house-licence-city-of-adelaide-council/1940
· https://www.thoughtco.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4582571
· https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/business-and-trade/licensing/real-estate/rooming-house-proprietors
· https://www.housingsafetyauthority.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1143706/Fact-Sheet-Rooming-Houses-Overview.pdf
· https://www.housingsafetyauthority.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1143708/Fact-Sheet-Rooming-Houses-Bedrooms.pdf
Last Updated: 24 June 2026
.png){kind=logo}
