On this page:
Our services
Information and advice
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) provides a range of information and advice services to support consumers to exercise their rights and regulated businesses, professionals and organisations to comply with the law. These include:
- website. Our extensive website contains a range of information, tools and templates
- phone and online advice. We directly engage with the public, answer questions about the law and support resolution of issues where possible. CAV also provides specific phone services for specialist or priority issues
- social media. CAV engages with the public via social media accounts. We educate people about their rights and obligations and respond to questions
- news alerts and media engagement. CAV issues alerts on key issues. This includes court proceedings, enforcement outcomes and informing the public about compliance matters. We also engage with the media, who may seek information when reporting about these issues.
Where we can't help or feel that others may be able to better support you, we may refer you to other organisations for further support.
Complaints and dispute assistance
CAV accepts complaints from members of the public where a business may not have complied with the law.
We record every complaint and use the information you provide to help guide our compliance actions. In many cases you may not hear back from us directly after submitting a complaint, but we may contact you if we need more information.
In limited circumstances, we may also provide more tailored support to help people resolve a dispute with a business or rental provider where they are particularly vulnerable to harm.
Rent increase assessments and repair inspections
Renters can ask CAV to investigate and report on rent increases if they think the increase is too high. This is called a rent assessment, and it is a free service.
We also provide a free rental repair inspection service in certain circumstances. This involves a CAV inspector writing a report about the repairs and sending both the renter and rental provider a copy.
CAV also has regulatory responsibilities for residents in Specialist Disability Accommodation. Specific information, processes and supports are available for residents and their support people who want to request rent assessments and inspections on repairs.
Assistance and advocacy services we fund
CAV funds a range of community organisations to provide individually tailored support and advocacy services for consumers and renters experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage. These include:
Licensing and registration
We deliver licensing and registration schemes for a range of businesses, professionals and community groups on behalf of both the Business Licensing Authority and Consumer Affairs Victoria.
To learn more, view:
Rental bonds
We support the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority, who collect and manage all rental bonds in Victoria on behalf of renters and rental providers. These bonds are held in trust until a valid claim has been made and the bond can be repaid. Renters and rental providers can access the service via RTBA online.
Regulatory services
CAV performs a range of regulatory activities to identify, manage and respond to non-compliance with the law. This includes undertaking inspections, investigations and enforcement activities.
Regional services
We have a network of staff that provide CAV services in regional offices across Victoria.
Service standards
We are committed to providing a quality service to the Victorian community.
When you deal with us you can expect:
- timely, accurate and accessible service
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to be dealt with fairly and courteously
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to have your privacy rights respected
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that we will provide you with an explanation of our procedures, and what we can and cannot do
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that we will identify ourselves when talking or writing to you
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that we will attempt to answer your enquiry or complaint to the best of our ability
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that if your issue is outside our area of authority and it is possible to refer you to another agency, we will do so
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that we will have special regard for the differing needs of people in the community
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that we will advise you of any appeal rights that you may have.
We ask that in turn you treat our staff with professional courtesy and respect.
There are some limited circumstances where it may be necessary to restrict our services to certain members of the public. This is outlined in our Unreasonable complainant conduct policy.
Providing feedback or making a complaint about our services
If you are not happy with our service or have ideas on how we can do better, we would like to hear from you.
We welcome:
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compliments about our service
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comments and suggestions
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complaints, including privacy complaints.
Please use our online Feedback about Consumer Affairs Victoria form.
Please note: This is a form to provide feedback about your experience of our services. If you want to contact us to report a consumer or rental problem or seek assistance, please view our Contact us page to find the best option for your situation.
You can also contact us:
By phone
1800 008 194
By post
Customer Feedback
Consumer Affairs Victoria
PO Box 123
Melbourne VIC 3001
Once you have submitted your feedback or complaint, we will:
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acknowledge receipt of your submission and provide you with a reference number
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work with the business area responsible to formulate a response
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respond to you within 14 days or advise you of a revised timeframe if we think it may take longer.
We appreciate the opportunity to work directly with you first to address your feedback or complaints. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact: