New rental reforms come into effect in Victoria today, strengthening protections for renters and setting clearer requirements for rental providers and agents.
A key change means rental providers and agents must provide renters with evidence supporting a bond claim, before making the claim at the end of a rental agreement. Invoices, receipts, quotes and photos are acceptable evidence.
Other reforms starting today include:
- Ban on rental application and rent payment fees – rental providers and agents cannot charge renters a fee for rental applications or to make rent payments. This builds on the existing ban on third-party apps charging fees.
- Mandatory gas and electrical safety checks – all rental properties must have gas and electrical safety checks every 2 years, including properties with new and existing rental agreements. These checks help improve safety for renters and rental providers.
- Pre-draughtproofing gas safety checks – a gas safety check must be completed before draught-proofing work is carried out in a rental property. This check is separate from the mandatory 2-yearly gas safety check.
- Minimum standards record keeping – rental providers and rooming house operators must keep records that show their property meets the relevant minimum standards.
The changes build on reforms introduced since November last year and form part of more than 150 rental reforms introduced in Victoria since 2021.
Consumer Affairs Victoria’s permanent Renting Taskforce continues to monitor the rental market and enforce rental laws. Rental providers, agents and rooming house operators who do not comply with their obligations may face warnings, fines, or court or other enforcement action.
Find out more about the new rental reforms and what they mean for renters, rental providers and agents on New changes to the rental laws.