Welcome
In excess of 130 new landlord obligations that come into effect on the 29th of March 2021, Property investors in Victoria will be facing additional cost and time in managing their assets.
The new standards will, in many cases, require substantial changes to processes, documents and systems, meaning a fresh round of education is needed for the sector.
These new standards will require changes to processes, documents and systems, which means a fresh round of education is needed for the sector. The following information is taken from the consumer Victorian Government website.
Victorian renting regulations
New renting regulations available
The Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 are now available.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety received more than 700 written submissions on the draft regulations from the Victorian community. After reviewing and considering all submissions, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne has decided to incorporate a number of changes into the regulations.
These include:
- Compensation for sales inspections – a minimum of $30 compensation is required to be paid per inspection.
- Information that cannot be requested from applicants – prohibitions on requesting a passport, or about nationality status has been removed, and a prohibition has been included on asking about protected attributes under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010unless a written reason for the question is provided.
- Information that a rental provider must disclose – additional requirements for disclosure have been included at the request of renters.
- Gas and electricity safety checks – the meaning of a ‘gas safety check’ and ‘electrical safety check’ has been defined to ensure that rental providers understand their safety maintenance obligations.
- Ventilation – a new rental minimum standard has been developed for ventilation.
- Heating – the energy efficiency (2 star) heating rental minimum standard has been extended to Class 2 rental properties (apartments) unless the rental provider can prove it would be unreasonable in terms of technical, cost or owners corporation requirements to install an energy efficient heater.
Welcome
The Victorian Rental Laws in Australia were updated in 2021 with significant reforms that aim to provide more protections for renters in the state. Some of the key changes include:
- Rental bidding: It is now illegal for landlords or agents to request rental bids from prospective tenants or offer rental bids against each other.
- Rental increases: Rent increases are limited to once every 12 months, and landlords must provide tenants with 60 days’ notice before any increase takes effect.
- Rental agreements: Rental agreements are now required to be in writing, and landlords must provide tenants with a copy of the rental agreement within 14 days of signing.
- Rental bonds: The maximum bond amount that a landlord can request has been reduced to the equivalent of four weeks’ rent.
- Repairs and maintenance: Landlords must ensure that their rental properties are maintained in a reasonable state of repair, and tenants can now request urgent repairs directly from tradespeople if the landlord does not respond in a reasonable timeframe.
- Pets: Landlords are now required to allow tenants to keep pets, subject to certain conditions.
- Rental standards: Rental properties must now meet minimum standards for safety, security, and amenity, and landlords must ensure that these standards are met before a property is leased.
These reforms are aimed at providing more protections for tenants and improving the quality of rental properties in Victoria. They also aim to provide a fairer and more transparent rental market for both tenants and landlords. Landlords who fail to comply with the new laws may face fines and penalties, while tenants who are unfairly treated may have more avenues for recourse.