Just like in the rest of our lives, changes with housing arrangements are likely to occur over time. Partners and housemates can come and go and it becomes necessary to update the record with a landlord.

While tenancy legislation differs state-to-state, the general principles of adding someone new to a lease – whether it’s a spouse or a new housemate – are the same and involve working closely with the landlord, or a property manager if they have one.

Here’s how to add a housemate or partner to your lease.

Do I need to add everyone living at my house to my lease?

Corey Love who is the leasing manager at Hugo Alexander Property Group said there are two ways people can inhabit a property; as a leaseholder or what is known as an approved occupant.

“So, the leaseholder or leaseholders – determined by many variables, including rental affordability – have a legal obligation to meet the tenant contract and can be held liable for late rent payments or damage by them or the approved occupants,” he said.

“For example, if you have a family of three; Mum, Dad and a 20-year-old son, while the 20-year-old is old enough to be a leaseholder, he might only work casually and be unable to afford the rent. So, Mum and Dad are the actual leaseholders, and the son would be listed as an approved occupant.”

Partner or spouse

While a partner or spouse can be listed as a leaseholder, they can also be added as an approved occupant.

“It all comes down to the criteria for renting that property, (which takes into account) references, affordability and rental history,” Mr Love said.

If a person stays in a rental for more than two weeks, the property manager needs to be notified. Picture: realestate.com.au/rent

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Children

Children aren’t listed on the actual lease, Mr Love said. “But during the leasing process, you will be asked how many children you have and their names so they will be added to the list of approved occupants,” he said.

“This is so the property manager and landlord know who is living in the house and that the property isn’t overcrowded and conforms to local council regulations.”

Housemates/friends

A housemate or friend over the age of 18 who lives at the house should be listed on the lease, either as a leaseholder or approved occupant.

How long can someone stay at my house before I need to add them to the lease?

While visitors are allowed under almost all leases, if someone stays for two weeks or more, or more than three nights a week, the property manager needs to be notified, Mr Love said.

“They need to know someone else is living in the residence and they are added as approved occupants. Even if a family member is there for an extended holiday, it is still required to let the leasing agent know about the additional person on the property,” he said.

It is possible for a landlord to refuse a person being added to a lease. Picture: realestate.com.au/rent

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Can a landlord refuse to add an additional person to my lease?

The landlord can refuse a request to add someone to the lease, Mr Love said.

“If a person’s reference or affordability checks come back negatively, the landlord can refuse to add them.” If the person has a negative listing on TICA, Australia’s largest tenancy database, they can also be denied being added to the lease.

If you’re unsure of the person’s rental history then it’s best to check to see if they’ve been blacklisted on a tenancy database before speaking with the agent or landlord.

How is someone new added to a lease?

Adding someone new to the lease is an involved process and the new addition has to go through the same process as at the start of a new lease, Mr Love said.

“If someone is leaving the lease, they have to get their bond refunded and removed from the lease. Anyone new to the lease has to undergo the same checks, such as references and affordability.

“If they are not approved to be added to the lease, they can be added as an approved occupant. A lease is a legal document, so you only want to add people who can fulfil their legal obligations,” he said.

This article was originally published on
25 Oct 2021 at 8:27am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.

Gwinganna’s sister property called EcoView Retreat is up for sale owned by Tony de Leede. Picture Glenn Hampson

Shock waves are hitting Australia’s booming wellness industry after a business linked to the partner of Hollywood star Hugh Jackman collapsed, throwing fresh scrutiny on a sprawling property empire built off the back of the fitness craze.

Tony de Leede – the entrepreneur behind Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat and the man who brought Fitness First to Australia – has suffered a setback after his firm Wellness Solutions Group entered voluntary liquidation.

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Hugh Jackman at Gwinganna – his business partner is facing a major setback in his wellness pursuits.

Ecoview Retreat has 24 bedrooms.

Mr De Leede remains a shareholder in Gwinganna alongside Jackman, with the collapse highlighting the risks facing niche wellness coworking ventures as demand softens and operating costs rise.

His wellness firm, which offered corporate clients access to meditation pods, infra-red saunas, coworking hubs and flexible wellness spaces, counted major organisations among its customers including ANZ, Club Lime, YMCA, Goodlife Health Clubs and Stockland.

Mr De Leede said the closure was an “orderly wind-down”, adding staff had been supported and obligations met, but no details have been released about debts incurred with the closures of Mr De Leede’s Club W in Cronulla, Wello Works in Rosebery and his Move123 exercise video brand.

The collapse has turned attention to his broader portfolio of wellness ventures and property plays, including the listing of his 28-hectare EcoView Retreat near Gwinganna – a purpose-built estate featuring villas, event spaces and a private residence designed to capitalise on the retreat boom.

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His property at 660 Trees Road, Tallebudgera Valley, is for sale.

Ecoview Retreat has the main complex plus a stunning “caretaker’s residence”.

The property, marketed as purpose-built for retreats, corporate events and private functions, features 15 self-contained villas, five multipurpose spaces, and a separate four-bedroom residence with a granny flat.

The property at 660 Trees Road, Tallebudgera Valley, has 24 bedrooms, 20 bathrooms and parking for 22 vehicles.

No price has been made public for the property which is for sale via private treaty, located just 15 minutes to Burleigh Heads, 20 minutes to Gold Coast Airport and 60 minutes to Brisbane Airport.

Over the past decade Mr De Leede has bought and sold a string of Queensland properties, from Gold Coast beachfront homes to Broadbeach apartments and holiday investments, navigating wins, losses and rapid resales as the market surged through the pandemic.

Among the most notable was a house on coveted Hedges Avenue on the Gold Coast, purchased for $7.3m in 2009 and sold a decade later for $6.325m – a roughly $1m loss just before the pandemic – despite the area subsequently recording some of the strongest property growth in the region.

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His Ecoview Retreat has a short-term rental type concept for corporates looking to host their own retreats, but can also be a full-time business venture for the right operator.

A three-bedroom apartment in Burleigh Heads was transferred to his wife Snjezana De Leede in October 2024 for $1m after he had paid about $905,000 just over two years earlier.

A one-bedroom unit in the Phoenician at Broadbeach, bought in 2020 for $317,000, sold in 2023 for $515,000 – it was resold by the purchaser a year later for $590,000.

Another one-bedroom in the same building, purchased for $280,000 in 2020, sold around three years later for $485,000, and later resold by the new owner for $575,000 nine months afterwards.

A two-bedroom apartment in The Oracle at Broadbeach, bought in 2021 for $400,000 was sold in 2023 for $710,000. It later resold for $800,000.

A three-bedroom townhouse in Port Douglas, purchased in 2005 for $390,000, sold in 2021 for $1.33m after about 16 years of ownership.

These moves underscore how Mr De Leede has actively managed a significant property portfolio alongside his wellness ventures, balancing short-term flips, long-term holds, and high-profile developments.

The setback underscores the risks facing even high-profile operators as the post-Covid wellness surge cools, raising questions about whether the sector’s rapid expansion has run ahead of sustainable demand.

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