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If a tenancy is affected by family violence, tenants, landlords and property managers have specific rights and obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.
For example, a tenant who is a ‘protected person’ under a family violence safety notice, family violence intervention order or personal safety intervention order can change the locks without the landlord’s or property manager’s consent.
As a property manager, if the locks have been changed, you must not give keys to a tenant who you know has been excluded from the rental property under a family violence safety notice, family violence intervention order or personal safety intervention order.
If the protected person has a final intervention order that excludes the other person (respondent) from the property, the protected person can:
- apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to end the lease early (break the lease), or
- apply to VCAT to end the lease early and start a new lease in the same property without the respondent.
Family violence factsheet for property managers and landlords
Our factsheet has more information on:
- safety notices and intervention orders
- privacy obligations
- changing the locks
- changing or breaking a lease
- property damage
- goods left behind
- who to contact for information and support.
Download Family violence in a tenancy - real estate agents and landlords (PDF, 221KB)
Download Family violence in a tenancy - real estate agents and landlords (Word, 39KB)
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