What Victorian renting law actually says
Look up your situation and see what the law actually says, in the regulator’s own words, with a link so you can check it yourself.
This covers Victoria, Australia, and nowhere else. Renting law is state law, so a rule here can be simply wrong for another state.
Where the law is clear, we say so. Where the industry repeats something the law does not back, we say that too, and label it.
1,177 answers across 30 topics, each with its source and its date. Checked 16 August 2026; we re-check monthly. How this is kept current.
What happens to belongings left behind?
In Victoria, a rental provider must store a former renter's goods or belongings for at least 14 days after telling the renter, and Consumer Affairs Victoria says personal documents must be stored for at least 90 days while Dirt2Tidy says up to 90 days. Perishable foods and dangerous goods may be disposed of immediately, though the Law Handbook says protected goods must be stored for at least 14 days even if dangerous or perishable. If goods are not reclaimed within 14 days the provider may sell or dispose of them; the former renter has 6 months from the sale to claim the proceeds, minus an occupation fee of no more than 14 days' rent in total and selling costs, and unclaimed proceeds go to the Residential Tenancies Fund within 30 days. A former renter can ask VCAT for return of goods or documents wrongfully retained, compensation for loss of goods or documents, or an order to store goods for more than 14 days, while as of 21 July 2026 Tenants Victoria states Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria now handles some rental disputes instead of VCAT; the claims also conflict on whether higher-value goods attract longer notice and on whether the Residential Tenancies Fund is in Queensland or Victoria, and do not distinguish tenancy types or fixed term versus periodic agreements.
68 answers5 dated changes
How do I get my bond back?
In Victoria, a rental bond is held in trust by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority; Victoria does not allow a separate pet bond, and in most cases a bond cannot be more than one month’s rent, while a rooming house bond cannot be more than 28 days’ rent for a resident on a fixed term rooming house agreement and 14 days’ rent for a resident who is not on a fixed term agreement, and a caravan park bond cannot be more than one month’s rent or hiring charge. A rental provider who receives the bond must lodge it, but the stated deadline conflicts: section 406 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, Tenants Victoria and several published sources say 10 business days, while Consumer Affairs Victoria’s bond page says 14 days not including public holidays. A rental provider must start a bond claim with the RTBA within 14 days of the rental agreement ending unless a renter initiates a claim first, and any renter named on the bond can start the claim themselves after the agreement ends without the rental provider’s agreement. From 13 October 2026 a rental provider must notify the renter in advance of a claim at the end of the agreement and provide supporting evidence; from 1 July 2026 a renter can move their bond to the next rental home under the Portable Rental Bond Scheme; the RTBA only repays the bond when everyone listed on the bond agrees or VCAT orders repayment, and rental providers cannot claim bond for fair wear and tear.
36 answers4 dated changes
What does it cost to break my lease early?
In Victoria, a renter who ends a fixed-term lease early does not pay a penalty, but must cover certain costs so the rental provider does not lose money. The rental provider must try to re-let the property or room quickly and keep their losses to a minimum, and the renter does not pay rent after the property is re-let. Reasonable costs are not defined in law, and sources conflict on advertising: Consumer Affairs Victoria and Landlord Wise state that reasonable advertising paid to find a replacement renter may be recoverable, while Tenants Victoria states that lease-break costs are not the costs to find or advertise to a new renter and that a re-letting fee must be based on the fee for preparing the outgoing renter's lease. VCAT decides disputed reasonable costs, considers notice and re-letting efforts, may award little or no compensation in family violence, and cannot order more than one month's rent for every 12 months remaining on a fixed-term agreement longer than 5 years; a renter past the end of their first fixed-term lease cannot be charged advertising or a re-letting fee to find a new renter, and a renter experiencing severe hardship can apply to VCAT to break an agreement without paying any costs.
39 answers1 dated changes
Can I claim compensation?
Victoria has a compensation pathway through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, which launched on 23 June 2025 and as of 1 July 2026 deals with compensation claims including breach of duty. Tenants Victoria states that a renter must apply within 6 years, that failing to give written notice of the problem before applying may affect the claim, and that no notice of breach of duty is needed after moving out; it also advises renters to keep paying rent while seeking compensation. VCAT cannot award compensation for personal injury under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, and it may order compensation for distress or disappointment only in exceptional circumstances where the parties could not reach agreement at Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria. The monetary limit is not settled: as of 1 March 2026 Tenants Victoria's rooming-house compensation page states $20,000, while its private-rental page and Justice Connect state $40,000, and Tenants Victoria states that a claim above the Victorian rental-law limit must instead be brought under the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012.
27 answers2 dated changes
Why does the condition report matter?
In Victoria, all rental properties, rooming houses, caravans, caravan sites and Part 4A park sites must have condition reports. The rental provider or agent must sign the report and give two copies, or one if sent electronically, to the renter before move-in; the renter has five business days from moving in to return it, and if no report was given before move-in the renter can complete their own and should give it to the provider or agent within five business days. From 29 March 2021 the Consumer Affairs Victoria template applies to all Victorian properties rented out from that date, and for rental agreements entered into from that date a returned report acts as written notice that repairs are needed, the right to apply to VCAT to amend the report applies only to those agreements, and extra professional cleaning requirements apply to agreements signed from that date. Justice Connect advises renters to list every repair issue and return the report within five business days to avoid liability for pre-existing damage; at the end of the agreement the provider or agent must complete the exit condition report section within 10 days with the renter present or given a reasonable opportunity, and Justice Connect states that in an end-of-occupancy dispute the Tribunal must find the facts in the report proven, while separately stating that the conclusive-evidence presumption does not apply where issues could not reasonably be discovered on a reasonable inspection.
40 answers6 dated changes
What protections exist if I am experiencing family violence?
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2018, which included family and domestic violence reforms, was passed in September 2018, and section 236 commenced on 29 March 2021. A Victorian renter with a safety notice or intervention order can change the locks without the rental provider or agent's permission; Consumer Affairs Victoria named sections 70A and 71 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 as the basis as of 26 March 2021, and section 70A was inserted by Act No. 52/2008. A renter experiencing family violence can apply to VCAT to change the rental agreement even if their name is not on it, or to leave before the agreement ends without paying for breaking the lease, and as of 7 December 2025 Consumer Affairs Victoria states VCAT must hear the application within 3 business days or no later than the next available day after those 3 business days. A renter's personal information must not be listed on a renter database if they breached the rental agreement because of an act of family or personal violence against them; the claims do not settle responsibility for property damage caused by family and domestic violence, as EBM RentCover states renters are responsible for that damage but also states a tenant can apply to VCAT to determine who pays.
11 answers2 dated changes
What happens at the final inspection?
At the end of a Victorian rental agreement the rental provider, property manager or agent does a final inspection, and the renter must be present or have been given a reasonable opportunity to be there. The property must be left reasonably clean and as it was at the start of the lease except for fair wear and tear, and rental providers cannot claim bond for fair wear and tear, but the claims do not settle one uniform cleaning standard: Tenants Victoria says a renter need not steam clean carpets if the property is already reasonably clean even if the lease says otherwise, while commercial cleaning sources say every nook and cranny must be clean and that a professional receipt may improve the chance of a full bond refund. Renters can claim their bond directly with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority without the rental provider's agreement and with no time limit, and from 1 July 2026 they can move their bond to their next rental home under the Portable Rental Bond Scheme.
28 answers1 dated changes
What changes when my fixed term ends?
From 25 November 2025, a Victorian fixed-term agreement automatically becomes a periodic lease when it ends unless a new fixed-term agreement is signed or the rental provider gives a valid notice to vacate; certain notices to vacate have a minimum notice period of 90 days, and a rental provider cannot issue a notice to vacate at the end of a fixed term without a valid reason. During a fixed term, rent cannot be increased unless the agreement allows it and states how the increase will be calculated; for rooming house and caravan park agreements starting after 29 March 2021, rent cannot be increased more than once every 12 months. A renter who breaks a fixed-term agreement does not pay a penalty but may have to cover certain costs, the rental provider must try to re-let quickly, the renter does not pay rent after re-letting, a re-letting fee is limited to the same proportion of time left on the agreement, and a renter past the end of the first fixed-term lease cannot be charged advertising or re-letting fees to find a new renter. One point is unresolved: Landlord Wise says the one-month-per-year cap on lost rent applies to all standard-form agreements, while Consumer Affairs Victoria states it applies to fixed-term agreements longer than 5 years.
44 answers6 dated changes
Who has to arrange gas and electrical safety checks?
For rental agreements entered into after 29 March 2021, gas safety checks are required every two years by a licensed or registered gasfitter endorsed in the specialised class of Type A Gas Appliances Servicing, and all electrical installations and fittings must be checked by a licensed electrician at least once every two years. From 13 October 2026, the two-year gas and electrical safety check requirement applies to all rental agreements, including those commencing before that date; from 29 March 2023 all power outlets and lighting circuits in rental premises in Victoria must connect to both a switchboard-type circuit breaker and a switchboard-type residual current device. Consumer Affairs Victoria states that rental providers who entered into an agreement before 29 March 2021 are not legislated to conduct gas safety checks, so before 13 October 2026 the gas duty is not legislated for those older agreements; the claims do not settle whether electrical safety checks applied to those older agreements before that date. A rental provider must disclose the date of the last gas safety check and any outstanding recommendations before entering an agreement, and must provide a copy of the most recent gas safety check within 7 days after a written request; one source says each gas and electrical check record must be provided proactively within seven days, which conflicts.
30 answers7 dated changes
Can I put up shelves or make changes?
Since March 2021, Victorian renters can make certain changes without the rental provider’s consent if the property can be returned to its original state when they leave; Tenants Victoria states this is limited to changes that do not penetrate or permanently modify surfaces, fixtures or the structure. Without consent, renters may install non-permanent window film for insulation, reduced heat transfer or privacy, curtains while keeping the original curtains, a water-efficient shower head if the original is kept and the property is not heritage listed, picture hooks if the property is not heritage listed and exposed brick or concrete is not penetrated, and a removable, non-hard-wired security device that can be removed easily and does not affect neighbours’ privacy. Other changes need written consent, and providers cannot refuse without a good reason for painting, draughtproofing in a property without open flued gas heating, or disability-related modifications, and cannot unreasonably refuse reasonable security measures, modifications to increase thermal comfort or reduce energy and water costs, or a herb or vegetable garden; a VCAT application about unreasonably refused consent must be heard within 5 business days under section 64. A provider may require a modification bond to cover undoing changes, but not if the extra bond would be less than $500, and permission does not require the provider to pay; as of 2026-08-02, Consumer Affairs Victoria states that for a Victorian rental property with gas appliances a gas safety check must be less than six months old when draughtproofing work is completed.
39 answers1 dated changes
They will not fix something that is not urgent. What now?
In Victoria, a non-urgent repair is anything not on the legal list of urgent repairs; examples include a broken dishwasher, loose bathroom tiles, a sticking door and a minor tap leak, and all repairs must be made to the standard a tradesperson would make them. Rental providers have 14 days to make a non-urgent repair, but the sources do not agree on when the period starts: Consumer Affairs Victoria states it runs from the date of a written request, while Tenants Victoria states it runs from when the renter reported the problem to the landlord or agent. If the repair is not made within 14 days, the renter may apply to VCAT even without a repairs inspection and report; Consumer Affairs Victoria offers a free repairs inspection, and Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria handles disputes about non-urgent repairs. While waiting, renters must continue paying rent, and a rental provider or agent making repairs must give at least 24 hours notice and enter only between 8am and 6pm on any day except a public holiday; from 1 December 2025 all corded internal window coverings in Victorian rental properties must have secured cords.
34 answers5 dated changes
How do I give notice that I am leaving?
From 25 November 2025, Victorian rental providers cannot issue a notice to vacate without a valid reason, even at the end of a fixed-term agreement, and notice periods for certain rental provider notices to vacate and rent increases lengthened from 60 to 90 days across rental properties, rooming houses, caravan parks and residential parks. A renter's notice of intention to vacate must be in writing; the usual minimum notice is 28 days, with 14 days or immediate notice allowed in some situations, and more notice is allowed but not less, while leaving early still means rent is owed for the whole notice period. For a fixed-term agreement, the vacate date cannot be before the agreement's end date; an earlier date is breaking the agreement and may mean lease break fees. If a renter ends the lease with a valid reason and the correct notice period, no additional rent or compensation can be demanded, but sources conflict on the form of written notice: Aussie Rent Laws says a clear written notice is sufficient, while Landlord Wise says a letter, email or text message is not valid even with all required information.
33 answers2 dated changes
They have given me a notice to vacate. Is it valid?
Since 25 November 2025, Victorian rental providers cannot issue a notice to vacate without a valid reason, including at the end of a fixed-term agreement; from that date, a fixed-term agreement automatically becomes a periodic month-by-month lease unless the parties agree to a new fixed term or the provider gives a notice to vacate for a valid reason. Certain notices to vacate require 90 days' notice, including a notice given because the property is to be sold; a notice based on at least 14 days of rent arrears has a 14-day minimum notice period, and an immediate notice is available if the renter or their visitor intentionally or recklessly causes serious damage. A notice to vacate is not valid if it is unlawful discrimination or if required supporting evidence is not supplied, such as a witnessed statutory declaration for a moving-in notice or a building permit for a renovations notice. Rental providers cannot give notice for requesting repairs, asking to have a pet, or challenging a rent increase, and if the renter does not leave after notice, the provider may apply for a possession order.
26 answers7 dated changes
What are my rights on a month-to-month agreement?
When a fixed-term Victorian rental agreement ends and the renter remains, it automatically becomes a periodic month-to-month agreement unless the renter gives notice to leave, the parties agree to a new fixed term, or the rental provider gives a notice to vacate for a valid reason. In a periodic agreement, a rental provider cannot give notice to vacate without a valid reason. From 29 March 2021 certain terms are prohibited in new periodic rental agreements, and Victoria's rental minimum standards do not apply to an agreement that became periodic before 29 March 2021. Rent increase timing is not fully settled across sources: Consumer Affairs Victoria and other sources say a periodic agreement that started before 19 June 2019 may be increased once every 6 months, while one that became periodic on or after 19 June 2019 may be increased once every 12 months, but Collings Real Estate says the 12-month limit applies to periodic agreements regardless.
36 answers1 dated changes
Can I keep a pet?
Since Monday 2 March 2020, a Victorian renter must ask the rental provider for permission before keeping a pet, using Consumer Affairs Victoria's approved form; the new laws do not apply to a pet already in the rented home before that date. The rental provider must have a good reason to refuse and can refuse only by obtaining a VCAT order saying that refusal is reasonable; if the provider wants to refuse they must apply to VCAT within 14 days, and if they do not respond within 14 days consent is taken to have been given. A pet means any animal except an assistance dog, which is a dog trained to help a person with a disability, and a rental provider cannot charge a pet bond or give a notice to vacate for asking to have a pet. Rooming house residents can keep a pet only with the owner's permission, caravan park and residential park residents must follow their park rules, and a renter cannot be legally evicted just for having a pet when their agreement has a no pet clause, although VCAT has in some cases ordered removal.
39 answers5 dated changes
I am behind on rent. What can they do?
Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a renter under a Victorian residential rental agreement who is more than 14 days late on rent can be given a notice to vacate, and that the threshold is 7 days for a rooming house or caravan park tenant; Tenants Victoria describes unpaid rent of 14 days or more, which it says can be consecutive or accumulated. A renter can avoid eviction by paying all rent owing by the vacate date stated on the notice, and if all overdue rent is paid before that date VCAT must dismiss the landlord's eviction application; however, VCAT cannot dismiss a possession order application solely because the renter could pay off the unpaid rent under a payment plan, although if VCAT orders a payment plan it will put the application on hold, usually for 3 to 6 months. Rental providers do not have to be flexible about payment amounts or dates and can take formal action against a renter who is late paying rent, but they cannot charge an administration fee or late fee; a rental provider, rooming house operator, or park owner or operator cannot personally evict a renter, and only the police can evict with a VCAT warrant of possession, usually valid for 14 days; attempting to evict a tenant without following the correct legal process may result in significant penalties. A notice to vacate must be given by hand, post or electronic communication, and electronic communication requires the renter or resident's consent to receive notices that way; it cannot be sent by ordinary post, left in a letterbox or under a door, or handed to someone else.
34 answers1 dated changes
Can they ask me to offer more than the advertised rent?
Rental bidding was prohibited in Victoria as part of the 2021 rental law reforms, and the reforms introduced the requirement that rental properties be advertised at a fixed price. Holding rental auctions and inviting rental bids became offences for properties offered for rent from 29 March 2021, and from 25 November 2025 accepting rental bids above the advertised price is prohibited, including unsolicited offers. A price range or "Contact agent" in an advertisement is a form of rental bidding; enforcement has included fines against more than 40 agencies, more than 50 infringements totalling over $600,000 in 2024-25, and criminal prosecutions against five estate agencies. As of 2026 the claims conflict on voluntary higher offers: Soho Real Estate states that tenants can still offer more, while Consumer Affairs Victoria states that agents and rental providers are banned from accepting offers to pay rent higher than the advertised amount.
51 answers17 dated changes
Is this rent increase allowed?
Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a rental provider cannot increase rent during a fixed term agreement unless the rental agreement has an additional clause allowing an increase; rent cannot be increased more than once every 12 months for agreements that started on or after 19 June 2019, and for agreements that started before 19 June 2019 the interval is 6 months. From 29 March 2021 a new fixed-term lease with a rent increase clause must state the amount of the increase or the method used to calculate it and that the rent will not be increased by more than that amount; a rent increase notice is invalid if the wrong form is used, an invalid notice has no effect, and Tenants Victoria states only one increase can be listed in each notice. The minimum notice period changed from 60 to 90 days on 25 November 2025 according to Consumer Affairs Victoria, but Collings Real Estate described 60 days as the minimum as of 26 June 2026. There is no statutory cap on the percentage by which rent can be increased; from 31 March 2026 Consumer Affairs Victoria and VCAT take the CPI into account when assessing whether an increase is excessive, and from the same date the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria and VCAT can consider additional factors; Tenants Victoria states an increase above the relevant CPI is not necessarily excessive, and a renter can seek a free rent assessment from Consumer Affairs Victoria within 30 days of receiving the notice, and after 30 days the renter can no longer request one.
42 answers6 dated changes
Can I get the rent reduced?
In Victoria, a renter seeking a rent reduction must first ask Consumer Affairs Victoria for a free rent assessment, also called a rent increase investigation, within 30 days of receiving the written rent increase notice. If that report says a reduction should be given and the rental provider still refuses, the renter should apply to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria within 30 days of receiving the report; RDRV applications are free, VCAT requires some rent increase disputes to go through RDRV first, renters cannot be forced to leave because they asked for a rent assessment, and a renter can apply to RDRV for a rent reduction if the landlord reduces or removes services or facilities and refuses to drop the rent. From 25 November 2025 the minimum rent increase notice period for rental providers and rooming house operators is 90 days, and the notice form must be given at least 90 days before the increase starts; some industry commentary still describes a 60-day minimum, but that conflicts with the 25 November 2025 change. The rent cannot be increased more than once every 12 months for rental agreements that started on or after 19 June 2019, or for rooming house, residential park and caravan park agreements starting after 29 March 2021, and the limit is once every 6 months for rental agreements that started before 19 June 2019; there is no statutory cap on the percentage increase, but an increase may be invalid if the rules are not followed, and a rental provider cannot ask a renter to pay more rent because the renter broke any part of the rental agreement.
37 answers4 dated changes
What can they ask for on a rental application?
From 29 March 2021, any Victorian rental application form must include a statement about unlawful discrimination, and holding rental auctions or inviting renters to bid is an offence; from 31 March 2026, all private rental applications must be made using the prescribed Consumer Affairs Victoria form. A rental provider or agent cannot charge an application fee, a credit check fee, or a fee to show the property, cannot ask about pets, prior legal action or disputes, or bond history, cannot ask for information beyond the standard application form, and can request no more than two identity documents and no more than two capacity-to-pay documents. The provider or agent must protect the applicant’s personal information, use it only for suitability or another legitimate reason, tell the applicant which tenancy databases they use, and refund a holding deposit once both parties sign the agreement. There is a conflict on identification: Consumer Affairs Victoria caps identity documents at two, while Urban Renters tells applicants that most agents will ask for identification adding up to around 100 points.
33 answers4 dated changes
What condition does the property have to be in?
Victorian rental minimum standards apply if a renter moved in on or after 29 March 2021, but they do not apply where a rental agreement became a periodic agreement before 29 March 2021; renewing a fixed-term lease or changing to a periodic lease after that date does not restart the lease. From 29 March 2022 all Victorian rental properties must have curtains or blinds fitted to each window in any room likely to be used as a bedroom or living area; from 29 March 2023 rental agreements entered into from that date require an energy-efficient fixed heater in the main living area, although ConditionHQ states the fixed heater must be energy efficient without that agreement date limit. From 25 November 2025 Victorian rental properties must meet the minimum standards before they are advertised or offered, and it is an offence for a landlord or their agent to advertise or offer a property for rent that does not meet them; from 1 December 2025 all corded internal window coverings in Victorian rental properties must have an anchor installed to secure the cords and prevent them forming loops, and rooming house operators must install a fixed heater secured to a wall, floor or ceiling in each resident's room. The standards also cover external entry doors with functioning deadlocks or locks that can be unlocked with a key from the outside and without one from the inside, rooms free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure, and supply of a rubbish bin and a recycling bin; RACV asserts failure can incur penalties of more than $11,000 for an individual and over $57,000 for a company, the material conflicts on timing with Tenants Victoria dating an additional standard to 20 March 2023 while Consumer Affairs Victoria states the electrical safety standard commenced on 29 March 2023, and new energy efficiency standards begin in phases from 1 March 2027.
38 answers8 dated changes
What is the rental provider responsible for?
Victorian rental providers must organise and pay for repairs that are not the renter’s fault, make urgent repairs immediately, and make non-urgent repairs within 14 days of a written request; renters must continue paying rent while waiting and cannot organise and pay more than $2500 for urgent repairs themselves. Minimum standards apply to a renter who moved in on or after 29 March 2021, additional standards were introduced on 29 March 2022, 20 March 2023 and 1 December 2025, and from 25 November 2025 a property must meet the minimum standards before it is advertised, with advertising or offering a non-compliant property an offence; for rental agreements entered into from 29 March 2023 the fixed heater in the main living area must be energy efficient, and from 1 December 2025 all rental properties must have secured cords on internal window coverings. From 13 October 2026 rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson every two years for all rental agreements, annual smoke alarm safety checks apply to all rental agreements from 29 March 2021, and new minimum rental standards for energy efficiency take effect from 1 March 2027. Where the minimum standards do not apply because a lease started before 29 March 2021 the landlord still has a legal duty to ensure the property is fit and safe to live in.
33 answers13 dated changes
What am I actually responsible for?
In Victoria, renters must allow entry when the rental provider or agent is legally allowed and has given proper notice; a general inspection may only be made after the first 3 months and at most every 6 months, and entry may only occur between 8 am and 6 pm on days other than public holidays. Renters must not damage the property or common areas (including through visitors), must keep it reasonably clean, must not cause a nuisance to neighbours, must tell the landlord as soon as possible of any damage or breakdown of facilities, and must return it to its original condition at the end of the tenancy except for fair wear and tear; they must also provide a key as soon as practicable if they change a lock, remove any modifications they made, and they need not leave during inspections, keep utilities on after moving out, clean at heights, or maintain gutters, while simple tasks such as trimming small shrubs are their responsibility. Renters can only be asked to pay for professional cleaning in defined circumstances, and renters cannot be expected to leave the property cleaner than when they moved in. From 2 March 2020 a rental provider cannot unreasonably refuse a pet request, and from 29 March 2021 the definitions of damage and fair wear and tear, cleanliness, and urgent repairs were standardised, and public housing renters may add picture hooks, wireless doorbells and letterbox locks without local housing office permission; the claims conflict on routine inspection notice (at least 24 hours written notice) and on whether showings or open inspections are limited to 14 or 21 days before the end of the rental agreement, and they note major reforms from 25 November 2025 but do not specify their effect on renter duties.
76 answers15 dated changes
How much notice before they can come in?
In Victoria, a rental provider or their agent may enter only for a listed reason, between 8 am and 6 pm on days that are not public holidays, and must give written notice stating the reason. For a private rental, a routine inspection requires at least 7 days written notice, may be done only after the first 3 months and not more than every 6 months; showings to prospective renters are capped at twice a week and one hour each time, a sales inspection requires payment of $30 or half a day's rent, whichever is greater, and the renter does not have to leave during an inspection or showing. Rooming house residents generally must receive at least 24 hours' written notice, with at least 48 hours for a routine inspection as of 12 August 2026, and a general room inspection is allowed only once every four weeks. There are conflicts: Aussierentlaws.com states routine inspections need at least 24 hours' written notice and commonly occur every three months, while other claims state at least 7 days written notice for a private rental routine inspection and general inspections every 6 months at most; also, a 2015 VCAT decision found no right to open house inspections, but a 2026 documented position says open for inspections cannot happen more than twice a week or last more than an hour.
47 answers2 dated changes
What are my rights in a rooming house?
Since 26 April 2017 Victorian rooming house operators must be licensed before they start operating, must display that licence at the front entrance, and can operate multiple premises under one licence. A rooming house is a building where four or more people can live in rented rooms, usually under separate agreements with the operator, and it must be registered with the local council. Minimum standards on privacy, security, safety and amenity apply whether a resident has a rooming house agreement or an individual rental agreement: from 26 February 2024 each resident's room must have two working power outlets freely available to the resident and additional to any used for operator amenities, from 26 February 2025 windows must have coverings that reasonably block light, and from 1 December 2025 each room must have a fixed heater secured to a wall, floor or ceiling, with an energy efficient fixed heater required from 1 December 2030. A resident owing at least seven days' rent may be given a notice to vacate with a minimum of 2 days' notice, a fixed term agreement ending requires at least 28 days' notice before the end, and immediate notice can be given for serious disruption by a resident or their visitors.
42 answers11 dated changes
Whose job are the smoke alarms?
Smoke alarms are compulsory in all Victorian residential properties including houses, units, flats and townhouses, must meet Australian Standard AS 3786, and buildings constructed after 1 August 1997 must have hard-wired smoke alarms with battery back-up, while rooming houses must have hard-wired smoke alarms. From 25 November 2025, rental providers have been required to arrange annual smoke alarm safety checks and to ensure smoke alarms are tested at least once every 12 months in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, no matter when the rental agreement started. A smoke alarm that is not working is an urgent repair, and Tenants Victoria states a renter may request urgent repairs if a smoke alarm is not installed, not working correctly, or has not been tested in more than 12 months; if the rental provider cannot be contacted or does not immediately fix it, the renter can authorise and pay for an urgent repair of up to $2,500, and the provider must repay them within 7 days. Renters and rooming house residents must not deactivate, remove or interfere with a smoke alarm, and Consumer Affairs Victoria states the rental provider or rooming house operator may give a Notice of breach of duty, while one industry source states a notice to vacate can be given.
44 answers4 dated changes
Can I sublet or list it short-term?
Victorian renters must ask the rental provider for written permission to sub-let, and the provider must not unreasonably withhold consent or charge a fee; in public housing the provider can refuse permission because subletting would be unfair to others waiting. If someone sub-lets without permission, the rental provider can end the agreement or give a 14-day notice to vacate, and a provider who asks for an additional fee for consent faces a fine of 60 penalty units. A head renter who sub-lets takes on the rental provider's responsibilities, must advise a prospective sub-renter if they are not the owner, must lodge any bond with the RTBA within 10 business days, and any subletting agreement signed after 29 March 2021 is subject to minimum standards. For a sub-renter to be protected, the arrangement requires exclusive possession of some or all of the property and the landlord's written consent or a VCAT order; in 2016 a Supreme Court case held renters breached their agreement by renting on Airbnb, reversing a VCAT decision that it was a licence not a sublease, although one 2016 source said landlords could not rely on the RTA subletting provisions to evict Airbnb-listing tenants.
40 answers6 dated changes
Is this an urgent repair, and how fast must they fix it?
Urgent repairs in Victoria include faults or damage that make the property unsafe or insecure, failure of an essential service or appliance, mould or damp caused by or related to the building structure, and a property that does not meet minimum standards. The deadline for a rental provider to act is reported inconsistently: immediately, within 24 hours, within 48 hours, or within 2 to 3 days. A renter can arrange and pay for urgent repairs, but only up to $2,500, and must give written notice asking for repayment within 7 days of the repairs being made while continuing to pay rent; repair disputes must go through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria first. From 13 October 2026, rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks every two years for all Victorian rental agreements.
38 answers1 dated changes
Which bills am I supposed to pay?
In Victorian residential rentals, utility responsibility turns on whether the property has its own meter: where there is no separate meter, the rental provider pays the entire utility costs including electricity, gas and water; where the property has its own water meter, the renter must pay for the water they use and the sewage disposal charge unless the rental provider agrees to pay, and the rental provider remains responsible for charges relating to the sewerage infrastructure connecting to the house; where the property has its own electricity, gas or oil meter, the renter must pay all supply and usage costs unless the rental provider agrees to pay, and where bottled gas is used the renter pays for the supply and hire of gas bottles. The rental provider must pay to have the electricity, gas or oil supply installed and connected, and must pay the initial connection charges for electricity, water, gas including bottled gas, and phone and internet connections including the National Broadband Network, while renters must pay ongoing phone and internet usage costs unless the rental provider agrees otherwise; there is no minimum standard requiring a telephone line or internet connection, and a renter can negotiate an agreement for the rental provider to pay utility charges that is in writing and signed by the rental provider; an agreement about a solar energy system installed under the Victorian Solar Homes Program can make the renter liable for some installation costs and charges, unlike other initial connection costs. Rental providers must pay utility costs after the previous renter moves out until a new renter moves in and the utilities companies have the new renter's billing details, must reimburse a renter within 28 days of receiving a request to reimburse for utility costs that were the rental provider's responsibility, and must pay ongoing utility costs until a broken or faulty appliance is replaced with one that meets efficiency standards; new minimum energy efficiency standards for Victorian residential rental properties come into effect in phases from 1 March 2027, and an existing hot water system that permanently fails and cannot be repaired must be replaced with an energy-efficient electric hot water system. Some published advice conflicts on water: Soho Real Estate says the landlord takes care of the water and also that the renter must pay all charges including the water rates, while Consumer Affairs Victoria states the renter must pay for water they use and sewage disposal where the property has its own meter.
44 answers1 dated changes
How do I take this to VCAT?
In Victoria, anyone renting or managing a rental property can apply to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria for disagreements about bonds, compensation, rent increases and repairs; participation is voluntary, an RDRV application is also a VCAT application, and a formal VCAT hearing can be requested at any point, but anything said or done at RDRV cannot be used as evidence at VCAT unless everyone agrees in writing. Disputes not dealt with by RDRV, such as evictions and ending a lease, go straight to VCAT for a formal hearing, but VCAT cannot help with disputes between neighbours, co-renters or rental providers, bond refunds with no dispute, or matters involving a party in another state, a Commonwealth government organisation or federal law. For a VCAT hearing, evidence must be given to other parties and submitted at least 3 days before the hearing, and hearing and appropriate dispute resolution fees must be paid at least 5 business days before the first hearing day; VCAT may dismiss or delay an application if claim details are not provided, and renter compensation claims are capped at $40,000 and must be applied for within 6 years of the problem or loss occurring. There is a conflict over RDRV's status: Tenants Victoria recommended an independent alternative dispute resolution scheme, while RDRV describes itself as a service provided by VCAT; from 31 March 2026, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria and VCAT can consider additional factors when determining if a proposed rent increase is excessive, with Consumer Affairs Victoria and VCAT taking CPI into account.
48 answers1 dated changes