If you rent in Victoria, things are about to change big time.
For too long, landlords and real estate agents have had ALL the power.
They’ve been able to jack up rents, charge ridiculous extra fees, and kick people out with barely any notice.
But thanks to massive pressure from renters and a huge push from the Greens, new laws are coming that will finally give renters some real protections.
Here’s what’s about to change:
- No more rental bidding. Landlords can’t ask for or accept more than the advertised rent. No more secret auctions driving prices up.
- More notice before rent hikes and evictions. You’ll now get 90 days’ notice instead of 60, giving you more time to plan.
- Random extra fees? BANNED. No more paying extra just to apply for a place or even just to pay your rent.
- Rental disputes will actually mean something. Decisions from Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria will now be binding and enforceable.
- Mandatory training for property managers. No more clueless or dodgy agents making up their own rules.
- Stronger data protections. Your personal information won’t be stored indefinitely by rental agencies or tech companies.
- Standardised lease applications will be introduced, making the rental process fairer and easier.
This is a big win for renters, but we’re not stopping here. We want to make sure these laws work as intended
A critical missing piece in this legislation is rent controls, because as long as landlords can jack up the rent as much as they like, renters can still be forced out of their homes through an unfair rent rise.
An unaffordable rent increase is essentially a no-grounds eviction.
These reforms are proof our pressure is working.
Make sure to learn your new rights as a renter!
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