Resolving renting disputes

Renters, rental providers and estate agents can now use Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) – a free alternative dispute resolution service. RDRV can help resolve disputes about many renting issues, including rent increases, repairs and bonds.

If RDRV can’t resolve the issue, it will help you apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

Find out the steps to follow to resolve your renting dispute.

Video: Introducing Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV)

On this page:

• Steps to resolving a renting dispute
• Common dispute topics
• Going to RDRV
• Going to VCAT
• Our dispute services
• Further help
• Forms you might need

Steps to resolving a renting dispute

Disputes can often be settled without going to a hearing at VCAT.

Follow the steps below.

1. Know your rights and responsibilities.
2. Talk to your agent or rental provider.
3. Contact Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Still unresolved?

Apply to RDRV’s free service to help you with most rental disputes.

They will help you go to VCAT, if needed.

Common dispute topics

If you are looking for the rules on specific topics see:

• bond claims
• rental agreements (leases)
• repairs and maintenance
• rent increases
• notices to vacate
• goods left behind.

For the following urgent issues, contact us straight away:

• Illegal evictions: If you believe you are being illegally evicted from your rental property.
• Urgent repairs: If you have an urgent repair issue in your rental property and the rental provider or property manager does not respond quickly.

Talking about disputes

You should try talking about the issue with the other person. You should:

• explain the problem and say how you would like it resolved
• tell the other person what obligations you think they are not meeting.

If you can agree how to solve the problem, make sure you record this in writing.

If you cannot agree, you can either put the complaint in writing or, if there has been a ‘breach of duty’, you can issue a breach of duty notice. For more information on breach of duty notices, go to When a renter or rental provider breaks the law.

Putting requests and complaints in writing

If you want to inform the other person of a problem or issue, you can put it in writing using a standard notice.

Renters should use this notice to tell rental providers (landlords):

• non-urgent repairs are required
• you have arranged and paid for urgent repairs and you need to be repaid
• you have paid utility charges that are not your responsibility and you need to be repaid
• you caused or became aware of damage to the premises
• you are terminating the tenancy agreement before moving in
• you intend to vacate because the premises have been destroyed or are unfit for human habitation.

Rental providers should use this notice to tell renters:

• you have paid utility charges that are not your responsibility and require reimbursement
• the renter has damaged the premises and must repair the damage at their expense
• you have repaired damage and the renter is liable for the cost of the repairs
• you want to enter the property
• you are terminating the tenancy agreement before the renter moves in because the premises have been destroyed or are unfit for human habitation
• you intend to apply to the VCAT to terminate a fixed term agreement.

If you have issued a notice and the dispute is still unresolved, contact us for advice on your next steps. We may:

• advise you of the follow-up form you will need to issue
• advise you to apply to RDRV or VCAT.

Issuing a breach of duty notice

When someone breaks the rental agreement or law in a way that is defined as a breach of duty law, you should send a breach of duty notice. Both renters and rental providers can do this.

This can be the first step in ending a rental agreement. For more information, see 'If the breach is not fixed or happens again' on When a renter or rental provider breaks the law.

Going to RDRV

RDRV is a free alternative dispute resolution service offered by VCAT.

It’s available to renters, rental providers and estate agents to resolve disputes about many renting issues, including rent increases, repairs and bonds.

You can contact RDRV by phone, online or in person at any VCAT office.

Each application is case managed by a skilled resolution coordinator. They’ll liaise between you and your rental provider to try to achieve a resolution at the earliest possible point.

A range of alternative dispute resolution methods may be used, including facilitated discussions and mediation.

For more information, visit rdrv.vic.gov.au.

Going to VCAT

If the case isn’t resolved at RDRV, they can help you go to VCAT.

VCAT can help resolve disputes when other steps have not worked. 

If you need to go to VCAT you will need to provide evidence for your case. You should keep any evidence of breaches of duty or other disputes. This might include letters, emails or phone calls, evidence of losses, photos or videos, or receipts if you are asking to be repaid for something.
 
Find out more about what VCAT can do to resolve residential rental disputes.

Estimated timeframes to VCAT

VCAT prioritises cases that the renting laws say must be heard within a certain time, and those considered urgent.

To learn more about the timeframe for your type of dispute, visit Before you apply – Residential tenancy at VCAT.

Our dispute services

In some cases, we may offer our voluntary dispute services to help rental providers and renters reach an agreement. For example, when:

• there is proof Victorian renting laws were not followed, or
• the rental provider and renter have tried to fix the problem but were not successful.

Our services are there for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, and those who need it most. For more information, go to Dispute services section - Our compliance policy.

Further help

Help for renters

Renters in the private rental market who are financially disadvantaged or experiencing family violence can get help with dispute resolution from the Tenancy Assistance and Advocacy Program.

Dear Landlord is a free self-help tool which helps renters who are facing eviction for being behind in rent. It can help renters understand their options and identify actions they can take depending on their circumstances, including drafting a payment plan request to the rental provider, preparing a VCAT review application, and finding further financial or legal help.

Disputes between renters

We cannot help with disputes between renters. Instead, contact the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.

Commercial or retail lease disputes

Our information and dispute services only apply in limited circumstances to commercial or retail leases.

For more information about commercial or retail leases, visit Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC).

Help for older renters

Renters aged 55 years or more can get advice and support from HAAG.

Residents in retirement villages

Older, financially disadvantaged Victorians living in retirement villages can seek assistance from the state-wide Retirement Housing Assistance and Advocacy Program (RHAAP).

For a list of other organisations that can help with renting matters, view the Renting section on Who to go to for help.

Forms you might need

Breach of duty notices 

Notices – from renters to rental providers

• Notice of breach of duty to rental provider of rented premises (Word, 113KB)
• Notice of breach of duty to owner of caravan or caravan park (Word, 117 KB)
• Notice of breach of duty to rooming house operator (Word, 93 KB)

Notices – from rental providers to renters

• Notice of breach of duty to renter/s of rented premises (Word, 121 KB)
• Notice of breach of duty to resident/s of caravan park (Word, 115 KB)
• Notice of breach of duty to rooming house resident (Word, 99 KB) 

Sections of the Act

If you want to know what the law says about resolving renting disputes, you can read these sections of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997:

• Section 452 – General applications to the Tribunal.