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What condition does the property have to be in?

38 quoted answers, each with its source

The short answer

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.

Every part of this comes from the quotes below. How we write these.

What the rules actually say13

Quoted straight from Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Residential Tenancies Act or a tribunal.

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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that rental providers and agents must make sure a property meets minimum standards at the time they advertise or offer to let it.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers (landlords) and agents must make sure a property meets minimum standards at the time they advertise or offer to let the property.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria points renters to Schedule 4 of the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 for the rental minimum standards.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 Schedule 4 – Rental minimum standards
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The Victorian minimum standards do not apply where a rental agreement became a periodic agreement before 29 March 2021.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
They don't apply if your rental agreement became a periodic agreement (month to month) before 29 March 2021.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that external entry doors of a Victorian rental property must have functioning deadlocks or locks that can be unlocked with a key from the outside and without one from the inside.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The property’s external entry doors must have functioning deadlocks (a ‘deadlock’ is defined as a deadlatch with at least one cylinder) or be fitted with locks that can be unlocked with a key from the outside but can be unlocked without one from the inside.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that all rooms in a Victorian rental property must be free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
All rooms must be free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian rental providers must supply a rubbish bin and a recycling bin for the renter to use.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers must supply a rubbish bin and a recycling bin for the renter to use.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that all corded internal window coverings in Victorian rooming houses must have an anchor installed so the cords cannot form a loose loop.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
All corded internal window coverings in rooming houses must have an anchor installed to ensure the cords are secured or tensioned and can’t form a loose loop.
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Tenants Victoria states that the Victorian minimum standards apply if the renter moved into the property on or after 29 March 2021.

1 quote from 1 source
Minimum standards apply to your lease if moved into your rental property on or after 29 March 2021.
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Tenants Victoria states that…

  • renewing a fixed-term lease after 29 March 2021 does not restart the lease for the purpose of the Victorian minimum standards.
  • changing to a periodic lease after 29 March 2021 does not restart the lease for the purpose of the Victorian minimum standards.
1 quote from 1 source
Renewing a fixed-term lease or changing to a periodic (month to month) lease after 29 March 2021 does not ‘restart’ the lease under the law.

Measured finding2

Something someone actually measured, with the method attached.

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The mystery shop of 100 Victorian rental properties conducted by the Consumer Policy Research Centre with Tenants Victoria found 15 of the 100 Victorian rental properties failed to meet the standards for heating.

2 quotes from 1 source
The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) paired with Tenants Victoria to conduct a ‘mystery shop’ of 100 rental properties in Victoria located in Wyndham Vale, in Melbourne’s outer west, and Bendigo in central Victoria.
15 failed to meet the standards for heating
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Better Renting tracked temperature and humidity in more than 70 rental homes around Australia from 13 June to 31 July 2022.

1 quote from 1 source
From June 13 to July 31 2022, Better Renting tracked temperature and humidity in 70+ rental homes around Australia.

Practical effect4

What is observed to happen in practice, as distinct from what is documented.

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  • The Consumer Policy Research Centre and Tenants Victoria conducted a mystery shop of 100 Victorian rental properties.
  • The mystery shop of 100 Victorian rental properties found that 9 of the properties had visible mould.
2 quotes from 1 source
The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) paired with Tenants Victoria to conduct a ‘mystery shop’ of 100 rental properties in Victoria located in Wyndham Vale, in Melbourne’s outer west, and Bendigo in central Victoria.
9 had visible mould
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The Consumer Policy Research Centre with Tenants Victoria conducted a mystery shop of 100 Victorian rental properties.

2 quotes from 1 source
The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) paired with Tenants Victoria to conduct a ‘mystery shop’ of 100 rental properties in Victoria located in Wyndham Vale, in Melbourne’s outer west, and Bendigo in central Victoria.
15 failed to meet the standards for heating
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Tenants Victoria reported that most rental properties viewed during February to April 2023 met the prescribed Victorian minimum standards.

1 quote from 1 source
On the plus side, most rental properties viewed during the period February to April 2023 met the prescribed minimum standards.

Changed on8

A dated change. This is where advice quietly stops being true.

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New minimum energy efficiency standards for Victorian residential rental properties come into effect in phases from 1 March 2027.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
New minimum energy efficiency standards for residential rental properties come into effect in phases from 1 March 2027.
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From 1 December 2025 all Victorian rental properties must have secured cords on internal window coverings to prevent them forming loops.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
From 1 December 2025, all corded internal window coverings, such as blinds and curtains, must have an anchor installed to secure the cords and prevent them forming loops.
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Under rental minimum standards, since 1 December 2025 Victorian rooming house operators must install a fixed heater secured to a wall, floor or ceiling of each resident's room.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Since 1 December 2025, rooming house operators must install a fixed heater secured to a wall, floor or ceiling of each resident’s room.
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From 25 November 2025 Victorian rental properties must meet the minimum standards before they are advertised.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
From 25 November 2025, rental properties must meet the minimum standards before they’re advertised.
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For Victorian rental agreements entered into from 29 March 2023 the fixed heater in the main living area must be an energy efficient one.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
For rental agreements entered into from 29 March 2023, this must be an energy efficient fixed heater in the main living area. If there is an existing fixed heater that is not energy efficient, the rental provider must upgrade it.
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From 25 November 2025 it is an offence in Victoria for a landlord or their agent to advertise or offer a property for rent that does not meet the minimum standards.

1 quote from 1 source
From 25 November 2025, it also an offence for a landlord or their agent to advertise or offer a property for rent that does not meet the minimum standards.
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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.

1 quote from 1 source
From 29 March 2022, all properties must have curtains or blinds fitted to each window in any room that is likely to be used as a bedroom or living area.

Disputed between sources4

Sources that do not agree, presented without picking a winner.

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  • ConditionHQ states that the fixed heater in a Victorian rental must be an energy-efficient type.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states that the energy efficiency requirement attaches to rental agreements entered into from 29 March 2023.
medium confidencefirst-partyvendor
2 quotes from 2 sources
The fixed heater must be an energy-efficient type, such as a reverse-cycle air conditioner, gas heater with at least a two-star energy rating, or other approved fixed heating.
For rental agreements entered into from 29 March 2023, this must be an energy efficient fixed heater in the main living area. If there is an existing fixed heater that is not energy efficient, the rental provider must upgrade it.
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  • Tenants Victoria dates an additional Victorian minimum standard to 20 March 2023.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states that the electrical safety rental minimum standard commenced on 29 March 2023.
medium confidencefirst-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
Additional minimum standards were introduced on 29 March 2022, 20 March 2023 and 1 December 2025.
The electrical safety rental minimum standard commenced on 29 March 2023.

Often said, but we could not find it in the rules7

Lots of people say this. We went looking for an official source that backs it up and could not find one, so treat it as something people repeat rather than something settled.

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Safehaus asserts that the mould and damp requirement…

  • is a Victorian rental minimum standard.
  • catches the most landlords off guard among Victorian rental minimum standards.
medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
All rooms free from mould and damp caused by the building structure. This is the standard that catches the most landlords off guard.
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Safehaus asserts that painting over mould is not compliance with the Victorian minimum standard.

medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
Painting over mould isn't compliance.
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RACV asserts that failure to meet the rental minimum standards in a Victorian rental property can incur penalties of…

  • more than $11,000 for an individual.
  • over $57,000 for a company.
vendor
1 quote from 1 source
Failure to meet the minimum standards in a rental property can incur penalties of more than $11,000 for an individual and over $57,000 for a company.
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  • RACV surveyed Victorian rental providers.
  • RACV asserts that 81 per cent of the Victorian rental providers surveyed by RACV use a property manager.
vendor
1 quote from 1 source
RACV data reveals that 81 per cent of Victorian rental providers surveyed use a property manager, citing reasons such as professional advice on their responsibilities as rental providers and assurance that the rental property is compliant with the standards.