<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There's a 54-year age gap between </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/melbourne" rel="" target="" title="Melburnians"><span>Melburnians</span></a><span> Laurie Darby and Max Flett, but the retired teacher had no problems welcoming her 23-year-old gardener into her spare room.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With an empty bedroom and rising bills, Darby pitched the unconventional idea of intergenerational home sharing after Flett opened up about his own housing struggles.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"She was just like 'I've got a spare room - how about you chuck me some cash and you can stay here as long as you need while you're studying'," Flett said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/nab-ceo-andrew-irvine-australia-living-standards-warning-productivity/4f086ceb-a196-48e2-afd3-8a38a6f93e14" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>NAB chief warns living standards will stagnate without serious reform</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I had my doctor actually ask me 'do you trust this man?' I said, 'totally," Darby said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The gardener and budding comedian moved in with Darby and stayed for almost 18 months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think he got that idea pretty quickly that I wasn't going to make any rules except for the tea towels," Darby said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/intergenerational-living-spare-rooms-housing-crisis-solution/3f6302db-7dad-461f-8106-9b5e2dea91da" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Flett and Darby are part of a growing movement matching older landlords with renters, in a bid to offer a quick fix to one of the country's biggest problems.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 13 million spare bedrooms are sitting empty across Australia while young people are struggling to find a home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the pair met by chance, others are connecting through a social enterprise called Life Shared.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/mark-zuckerberg-to-testify-in-social-media-addiction-trial/c4f2e056-f4d5-42e1-b955-668aba56a378" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Mark Zuckerberg quizzed on children's Instagram use in social media trial</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Co-founder Jacinta Duffy believes the concept could be the answer to Australia's rental crisis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are a matching service and we're also a monitoring service, so the matching is really intensive, and it is doing background checks, it is doing police checks," Duffy said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Advocates are calling on the government to help unlock the millions of spare rooms across the country, with concerns current legislation could penalise aged pensioners for opening their door to those looking for a home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland University of Technology's Dr Lyndall Bryant said intergenerational home sharing happens "all over the world".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/health-insurance-2026-biggest-average-premium-hike-since-2017-to-push-many-households-to-the-edge/e1206a6b-0f7b-44ad-b415-e6d6bf48be17" target="_blank"><strong><span>Biggest average health insurance premium hike since 2017 to 'push many households to the edge'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It just doesn't have a big take-up in Australia because it's not well understood," Bryant said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We can fix this crisis right now, and the government could fix it at the swipe of a pen," Queensland University of Technology's Dr Lyndall Bryant said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have our existing housing stock, let's use it more effectively and build community."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's certainly worked out well for Flett, who was able to move out with savings, plus lots of material for his show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, Darby's in the market for a new roomie.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Well, Max says get somebody else, and I said I'll never get another Max, but I have thought about it," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 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