Victoria's rental rules take effect: bonds, fees, safety
Victoria's rental changes took effect on 13 October 2026, covering bond claims, renter fees, record-keeping and gas and electrical safety checks in rental homes.
Victoria's new rental rules took effect on 13 October 2026, according to the state's consumer regulator, Consumer Affairs Victoria. The changes cover bond claims, renter fees, minimum standards records and gas and electrical safety checks.
The rules bind rental providers and agents and apply to tenancies across the state. Sources differ on the scope of the fee ban, and only one source gives a notice period for bond claims or dollar amounts for penalties.
What landlords and agents must do from 13 October
Rental providers must give a renter advance notice before claiming the bond at the end of a tenancy, and must provide evidence supporting the claim, according to the regulator's page. Tenants Victoria gives photos or quotes as examples of evidence. It says a claim made without evidence, or one that conflicts with the condition report, can lead to a fine.
The regulator's page does not give a number of days for the notice. Your Life Choices reports, citing Jellis Craig, that tenants must get at least three days' notice. That figure does not appear on the regulator's page.
Providers or agents must also keep records showing a property met the minimum standards before it was advertised, offered or occupied, and must give those records to the regulator on request. Rooming house operators must keep similar records. Where a property has gas appliances, a licensed or registered gasfitter must check them within six months before draughtproofing starts.
For owners who rent out homes, the changes add record-keeping and inspection duties on top of existing ones. For renters, a bond claim at the end of a tenancy must now come with notice and evidence.
Which fees are banned, and where sources differ
The regulator's page says providers and agents cannot charge renters fees for rental applications or rent payments. It also says third-party businesses, such as online rental platforms, have been barred from charging those fees since 31 March 2026.
Tenants Victoria describes a wider ban. Its page lists fees for background, lease or rental history and database checks, credit checks, identity verification and administrative costs. The regulator's page does not list these categories, so the sources read for this article do not agree on the full scope.
Safety checks that now reach older tenancies
Rental providers must arrange for gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson every two years in all rental properties, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria. Gas checks apply only where a property has gas appliances, fixtures or fittings. The requirement previously applied to agreements entered since March 2021.
A renter on an agreement that started before March 2021, who does not know when the last checks were done, can ask the rental provider in writing for the date. If no check was carried out in the two years before a renter moves in, the provider must arrange one as soon as possible. The Residential Tenancies Act now includes definitions for both types of check.
Tenants Victoria says the landlord or agent must give the date of the most recent check in writing. Its page does not say which tenancies the rule covers, so the regulator's page is the source that sets out coverage.
“Under the changes, a bond claim made without evidence can lead to a fine.”
Penalties, guidance gaps and the dates ahead
One report attributes maximum fines of more than $12,000 for individuals and more than $61,000 for agencies to Consumer Affairs Victoria. Those fines apply to failing minimum standards or advertising a non-compliant property. The regulator's page read for this article gives no dollar amounts, and neither does Tenants Victoria's page, so the figures are not confirmed here.
Property managers say practical guidance is missing. Your Life Choices quotes Kasey Lawrence, founder of The Rental Network, telling Yahoo Finance: "There's no clarity." Lawrence said agencies understand the rules in principle but are waiting for practical guidelines. The report says Consumer Affairs Victoria will make further information available as the new laws take effect.
Several changes came earlier. From 25 November 2025, no-fault evictions were banned. Rental providers must also give 90 days' notice of rent increases and certain notices to vacate. From 9 September 2026, renters could elect in writing to pay their bond directly to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority, and must pay within two business days of its request.
Further dates are set. From 1 March 2027, phased minimum energy efficiency standards apply to heating, cooling, hot water, showerheads, ceiling insulation and draughtproofing. From 1 June 2027, providers cannot refuse to enter a rental agreement with a renter who elects to pay their bond through the authority. The page also sets a maximum compensation limit when a renter ends a fixed-term agreement early, without giving a date.
