Aussie rental's bizarre weekend rule raises eyebrows

An Aussie man has divided opinion with his unusual listing for a flatmate, in which he states the successful applicant will not be allowed to stay in his three-bedroom home on weekends.

"Weekdays only. I'm not home on the weekdays so not only the room but the whole property is yours during the weekdays," the ad starts off. "However, once I'm home on the weekends, I don't want any housemates around.

"So it's suitable for someone [who] spends the weekends elsewhere, like with their partner, parents' place, etc, and would like to enjoy their privacy on the weekends."

The man said the successful applicant would need to vacate the property every Friday evening for the weekend. He further stipulated the room, which has a queen-sized bed, wardrobe, heater, air-con and a private bathroom, was available to "anyone except couples" and was for a minimum six-month stay.

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The man said he flies out for work in regional South Australia early on Monday mornings and noted the property was close to the Adelaide CBD, public transport, schools and "much more".

Aussies split over listing

However, the listing got a mixed response after it was shared on Reddit. Some users predictably roasted the post with one saying, "Everything is on our doorstep! Including the local park where you can pitch your weekend tent!"

But others didn't understand what all the fuss was about. "I actually don't see a problem with this," one Redditor responded. "I assume it's intended for someone who is doing FIFO-style work or lives regionally and needs a pad in the city for Monday to Friday or similar and will return 'home' each weekend. I assume the rental rate asked for is also in line with the reduced access to the property. It could be branded better though."

Another wrote, "I don't get the reaction either. Might be a perfect arrangement for some people who work in the CBD during the week."

Is it legal to force a housemate out on weekends?

While the man's post ruffled feathers online, lawyer Chris Stone from the Legal Services Commission South Australia, told Yahoo News the proposed arrangement was "unusual" but "not illegal".

He said essentially the housemate would be paying to house sit during the week and advised anyone thinking of entering into the arrangement to do so with "eyes wide open".

"People can reach any agreement they want, of course," he said. "What strikes me is, who is this person going to find? Who would agree to do this and want to do this?"

Mr Stone said any disputes wouldn't be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act and would need to be dealt with under contract law at a magistrate's court, which could prove costly should the case drag on.

He urged both parties to form a carefully written contract clearly outlining the terms of the lease, particularly around splitting bills and what hours the housemate agreed to spend outside of the property on weekends.

"It's a pretty small, niche market of people who this might suit," Mr Stone said. "Perhaps someone who is also a FIFO worker. The run-of-the-mill person who lives in Adelaide, this is not going to suit them if they're looking for somewhere to live or rent."

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