13 October 2026
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Strengthened bond claims
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Rental providers must notify the renter in advance if they will be making a claim on the bond at the end of the rental agreement and must provide evidence to support the claim.
Read more about bond claim requirements.
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| Records showing compliance with the rental minimum standards |
Rental providers or their agents must keep records that show the property met the minimum rental standards before the property was advertised, offered, or the renter moved in.
Rental providers and their agents must give these records to CAV if they are asked.
Read more about the minimum standards for rental properties.
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Ban on rental providers and agents charging fees for applications or rent payments
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Rental providers and agents cannot charge renters fees for rental applications or payments of rent.
This adds to the ban on third party businesses (such as online rental platforms) from charging such fees that started on 31 March 2026.
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Mandatory gas and electrical safety checks every 2 years for all rental properties
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Rental providers must arrange for gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson to be conducted every two years in all rental properties.
Gas safety checks are only needed in properties that have gas appliances, fixtures or fittings.
2-yearly gas and electrical safety checks have been mandatory for agreements entered since March 2021. From 13 October 2026 this requirement applies to all rental properties. If a renter is in an agreement that started before March 2021 and doesn’t know when the last gas and electrical safety checks were done, the renter can ask the rental provider in writing to give them the date of the last checks.
If a gas or electrical safety check has not been done within the last 2 years at the time the renter moves into the property, the rental provider must arrange for a gas and electrical safety check to be done as soon as possible.
Read more about gas and electrical safety.
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| New definitions for gas and electrical safety checks |
New definitions have been added to the Residential Tenancies Act for gas and electrical safety checks to clarify the requirements when such checks are done at the rental property.
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Mandatory gas safety check before draughtproofing
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Before any draughtproofing work starts, a licensed or registered gasfitter must carry out a gas safety check iif the property has gas appliances, fixtures or fittings. This must be done within 6 months before any draughtproofing work begins.
Read more about Gas safety checks before draughtproofing.
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Records showing compliance with the rooming house minimum standards
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Rooming house operators must keep records that show their compliance with the rooming house minimum standards.
Read more about the rooming house minimum standards for rental properties.
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| 9 September 2026 |
Renters can pay their bond money directly to the RTBA
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A renter, by written notice to the rental provider, may elect to pay their bond directly to the RTBA.
The rental provider must then choose this option when they start the bond lodgement process with the RTBA.
Renters must pay within 2 business days after receiving the bond request from the RTBA.
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| Previous changes |
31 March 2026
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New standard form for rental applications
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Rental providers and their agents must use the prescribed form for rental agreement applications. This change will make it quicker and easier for a renter to apply for a property.
The prescribed form is set out in regulations. We recommend using the official Residential Rental Application form on our website.
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Rules for information that can be asked of rental applicants
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Rental providers will need to follow clear rules for the type of information they can ask from renters. This will be limited to what’s necessary to assess an applicant’s suitability as a renter and to confirm their identity and capacity to pay the advertised rent.
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Ban on third party fees for applications and rent payment
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Only rental providers, agents and banks will be able to charge a renter fees for applications or rent payments.
Third party businesses will be banned from charging these fees. While rental providers and agents may still use third party platforms, it will be an offence for the businesses that run these to charge a renter fees.
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Additional considerations for rent increase investigations
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The Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), including Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, will be able to consider additional factors when determining whether a proposed rent increase is excessive.
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1 December 2025
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New rental minimum standard – blind cord safety anchors
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All rental properties must have secured cords on internal window coverings to prevent them forming loops.
Read about minimum standards for rental properties.
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New rooming house minimum standard – heating standard for rooming houses
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All rooming house providers must install a fixed heater secured to a wall, floor or ceiling for each resident’s room.
Read about minimum standards for rooming houses.
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| 25 November 2025 |
Ban on no fault evictions
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Rental providers cannot issue a renter with a notice to vacate without a valid reason, even at the end of a fixed-term agreement.
When a fixed-term agreement ends, it will automatically become a periodic (month-by-month) lease unless a rental provider and renter agree to enter into a new fixed-term agreement or the rental provider issues a notice to vacate for a valid reason.
Other existing reasons for a notice to vacate, such as the sale of the property, renovation, or a breach of the agreement like failure to pay rent, are still valid.
Read more about notices to vacate.
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Extension of notice periods for rent increases and certain notices to vacate
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Rental providers must give a renter 90 days' notice of a rent increase and certain notices to vacate. This gives renters more time to budget or move. Shorter notice periods still apply when a renter is at fault.
Read about rent increases and notices to vacate.
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Ban on all types of rental bidding
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Agents and rental providers will be banned from accepting offers made by a renter to pay rent higher than the advertised amount or to pay more than one month’s rent in advance. This builds on the existing law that bans rental providers from requiring more than one month’s rent in advance or from soliciting or encouraging higher offers of rent.
Read about applying for a property.
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Rental properties must meet minimum standards when advertised
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Rental providers must ensure their property meets the minimum standards at the time the property is advertised, not just before a renter moves in. It will be an offence for a rental provider or their agent to advertise a property that does not meet the minimum standards. Note: From 1 December, rental providers will also need to ensure that all internal windows coverings have secured cords. This is a new minimum standard. More information is below.
Read about minimum standards for rental properties.
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Mandatory annual smoke alarm checks for all rental properties
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Rental providers and their agents must arrange annual smoke alarm safety checks for all rental agreements, whether they commenced before, on or after 29 March 2021.
Read about smoke alarm and fire safety.
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New rules to protect renters’ personal information
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Rental providers and their agents must protect renters’ personal information from misuse. They will need to follow rules around destruction and de-identification when handling information provided through rental applications. It will be an offence to disclose information without consent.
Read about protecting a renter’s personal information.
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