General
General
What is The Room Xchange?

The Room Xchange is Australia's first verified house sharing platform creating a safe community of users who's profiles are matched based on personality, values and lifestyle. 

How does The Room Xchange work?

The Room Xchange offers a platform where homeowners and housemates can connect. Homeowners provide accommodation renters can pay rent or offset part or all of the rent by offering to do additional help around the house. It's up to both parties to negotiate what that looks like.

How long will it take to complete my profile?

It will take you approximately 15 minutes to complete your profile. You can save and continue as you go, enabling you to come back to it at a later time. Read this great article that will help you create an engaging profile.

How much does it cost?

It's free to register, create your profile and search for users on the platform. If you'd like some help, we have a variety of premium services we offer. We can help you facilitate your house-share agreement, conduct interviews with potential households or housemates and we even have a matching service. We only offer a certain number of premium services per month so if you'd like more information, please book a call using this link.

How long are the terms of the arrangements?

You have the option to find a household or housemate who wants to house share for as long or as little as you do. It could be as short as a month or as long as a year or more. You can have a trial run for a month before committing to a longer term. It's up to you. 

Can I be on your platform if I'm from outside of Australia?

Right now, you can only house share with us if you're in Australia. If you're from outside Australia and want to find somewhere to live in Australia, you can do so as long as you can apply for your Digital iD. You can be from anywhere in the world and stay with households in Australia. To be a household in another country, you'll have to wait a little bit, but it's not too far away:)

Who gets to decide the terms of the rent offset?

Both parties can negotiate how the rent offset will work. The household can make their offer on the platform and the housemate can decide if it's right for them. Housemates can also add an offer on their profile. You can then connect with each other to discuss it further. 

How do you verify your users?

All of our registered users need to apply for a Digital iD by Australia Post. It's part of our vetting and verification process. Therefore, all users can feel confident knowing that they're connecting with someone who is also verified

How do I negotiate a rent offset arrangement?

We suggest that you create some kind of a house-share agreement that households and housemates can sign once you agree on the terms of your arrangement. This is not a contract; it's a document to help you work out what you agree on so everything is clear up front. You can also use our rent offset calculator to help you work out how many hours of help, at what rate per hour and how much rent is to be paid. Read the article in our blog titled "House share agreement or tenancy lease" to help you work out the best living arrangement for you. We also offer a 'House-share agreement service' where our team will help you to facilitate your house-share agreement. Click here to book a call to learn more.

If I feel uncomfortable about a user, what can I do?

It's our priority to ensure that all users feel safe and secure within our community. If you feel that someone is not behaving in a supportive or inclusive manner, then please let us know. All feedback is highly confidential and will be reviewed as soon as they're received.

I've found a technical issue on the website.

If you find any issues on the website please let us know asap.  It's also helpful to include a screenshot if possible, explain exactly what is happening , the URL and the browser you are using. This will help us solve the problem quickly. 

What part of my profile is public?

Your basic information is made available to the general public such as first name, location and house share requirements. Any personal information used to verify you such as surname, address, email, phone number DOB etc is kept private and only viewable by you in your dashboard. 

How can I connect with people?

Our safe and secure private internal messaging system allows you to connect and chat with a user without sharing any personal contact details. If you're happy with the chat and would like to meet up or do an inspection, you can share contact details then.

We are an inclusive company

Before you begin, please be mindful that we are an inclusive company. This means that our team and our users commit to the acceptance of people from all walks of life regardless of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or age.

What makes The Room Xchange unique from other house-sharing platforms?

The Room Xchange focuses on fostering transparent communication and shared responsibilities, creating a mutually beneficial living experience. We are also the only house-sharing platform in Australia with mandatory verification. This creates a natural filtering process which deters people with ill intentions from completing our process.

Can The Room Xchange assist with resolving conflicts between housemates?

While The Room Xchange doesn't mediate conflicts directly, the platform's emphasis on communication and house meetings can help in resolving issues amicably.

Is The Room Xchange suitable for short-term house-sharing arrangements?

The Room Xchange is a mid to long-term house-sharing platform. We are NOT set up to provide short-term holidays or house-sharing arrangements that are less than one month. One of our core values is to not remove housing from the long-term rental market.

How do I get started on The Room Xchange?

To get started on The Room Xchange, create an account, complete your profile, finalise your verification and start browsing potential households or housemates based on your preferences.

I'm having trouble with my Digital iD verification. What do I do?

There are a few things that could be happening:
1) Clear your browser cache and/or login using a private browser or an incongnito window and try again
2) Check that your full name is correctly and fully spelt in the account settings. They need to match up with the ID you use to verify. EG: If your name is Katherine Smith and you have Kathy Smith in your account settings, it won't verify you.
3) Check that you have entered your DOB correctly.

Once you have gone through these checks, if you're still having problems, book a call and we'll help you out.

Households
Households
I'm interested in providing a rent offset. What sorts of tasks can I request my housemate to assist with?

Begin by crafting a 'to-do list' encompassing tasks around the house that you'd appreciate help with, like cooking, cleaning, gardening, and more. Maintain the list on the fridge so your housemate can easily see the weekly tasks you'd like assistance with.

How do I know if my home is suitable to list on The Room Xchange?

If you're seeking a housemate to share your home or apartment, you're in the perfect spot. Ensuring that everyone in your household is open to house-sharing with others is crucial.

How do I prepare my home for a housemate?

Think of it in the same way you do when you have a family member or friend stay in your home. Make your housemate feel welcome and prepare the room where they'll be staying. It's also helpful to have local information handy to make the transition to living in your region nice and easy. 

How do I negotiate the terms of my arrangement?

Make your expectations clear on your profile. You can use our rent offset calculator to help you work out how many hours of help you can receive and how much rent you can ask for. It's then a matter of talking to your housemate about it so they're clear of the expectations as well. We also have a house share agreement guide you can use that you can all sign to be clear about the terms of your arrangement.

What if I have two rooms that I'd like to offer?

If you have more than one room and would like a housemate for each, you'll need to create two accounts using a different email address for each one. If you would like to discuss your options, please book a call with one of our customer care team so we can help you out. 

Can a housemate house-sit?

We have a many households who use our platform for house-sitting. Make that clear in your profile or discuss it with them when you connect. 

How do I calculate the rent offset?

As you craft your profile, make sure to utilise the rent offset calculator. Begin by entering your estimate of the room's value or the inclusive offer. Next, consider the tasks you'd appreciate assistance with around the house. Calculate their value based on an hourly rate and the number of hours required. Include this information in your profile to ensure clarity for potential housemates on our platform. For added clarity, utilise our house-share agreement guide to document these terms and expectations in writing.

How do I know if the person is right for our household?

We have created a household and housemate questionnaire to help you conduct an interview with a potential housemate. It's only guide, but it will help you get started. You can also add your own questions to suit your household.

Housemates
Housemates
How old do you have to be to use our platform?

You have to be at least 18 years of age to use our platform. In terms of the oldest you can be, well, that's up to you. We have people of all ages looking for housemates.

How can I offset my rent?

When you're creating your profile, use the rent offset calculator to help you work out how much your budget is for rent or rent and utilities. Then add how many hours of jobs you're willing to offer to offset your rent. When you start making your final arrangements with your household, you can use our house share agreement guide to put it in writing so everyone is clear about expectations and the terms of your arrangement.

How do I know if I'm an ideal housemate?

If you're looking for somewhere to rent and you're happy to share a house with other people, then you're an ideal housemate.

I'd like to live with someone who understands my way of living.

One of the great things about our platform is our profiles. They give you a really clear idea of whether the household is a right fit for you. Conversely, make sure you add information in your profile that is important for households to know.

It's important that I find a LGBTQ friendly household.

We are an inclusive company that welcomes people from all walks of life. You can stipulate in your profile whether you require a LGBTIQ+  friendly home and our households are also asked if they're comfortable sharing their home with people from the LGBTIQ+ community. That way everyone is clear about the people they'll be sharing with.

What kind of jobs can I do to offset my rent?

You can offer any kind of help as long as it's non-licensed and non-professional. Domestic help is the most commonly requested. Things such as cooking, cleaning, home organising, drop offs etc. Sometimes households might request help with their business admin or grocery shopping. It's up to you.

Can I find a household for me and my partner?

This is completely up to the household. You would need to highlight in your profile that there are two of you and discuss this when you connect with your households

Do I need to provide my own furniture?

This is the same for any household you might rent with. If you have furniture you can list it in your profile. If you require furniture for your bedroom and any additional items, you can list that as well. 

Can I register if I'm international?

You need to have an Australian mobile number and a current Australian visa to be able to register on our platform. We are currently only based in Australia so we need to ensure that all users are in Australia. You can register and select our 'Not in Australia' option. We can keep you updated via our email newsletter so when you're here you'll remember us.