What Do Victoria’s Rental Reforms and the Renting Taskforce Actually Mean for You?

Since 25 November 2025, Victoria has banned no-fault evictions, prohibited rental bidding, extended the notice period for rent increases and certain notices to vacate from 60 to 90 days, and required rental properties to meet minimum standards before they are advertised. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s rental law changes

Since 31 March 2026, rental providers and agents must also use Victoria’s prescribed residential rental application form and follow tighter rules about the information they collect from prospective renters. Third-party rental application and rent-payment platforms are prohibited from charging renters application or payment fees. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s rental application guidance

And the enforcement side has now become more significant. On 31 August 2026, Consumer Affairs Victoria announced that its Renting Taskforce, originally planned as a two-year operation, would become a permanent part of Consumer Affairs Victoria, with expanded resources including additional inspectors and lawyers. Renting Taskforce announcement

For renters, the practical result is greater security, clearer application rules and a stronger enforcement regime. Renters who believe a proposed increase is excessive also have a free assessment and dispute pathway before an unresolved matter reaches VCAT.

What Changed on 25 November 2025?

The first major group of the latest Victorian rental reforms took effect on 25 November 2025.

No-Fault Evictions Were Banned

A rental provider can no longer ask a renter to leave simply because a fixed-term rental agreement has ended.

A valid legal reason is required for a notice to vacate, including at the end of a fixed term. Consumer Affairs Victoria lists lawful grounds covering circumstances such as a property being sold, substantial repairs or renovations requiring it to be vacant, occupation by the rental provider or an eligible family member, and particular breaches by the renter. Victorian rules for ending rental agreements

Where a fixed-term agreement ends and neither party enters another fixed term, the tenancy will generally continue as a periodic agreement unless it is lawfully ended.

For Melbourne renters, this removes the old assumption that reaching the expiry date of a lease is, by itself, enough reason to require them to leave.

For rental providers, it makes accurate notices, supporting evidence and correct procedures increasingly important.

For a broader explanation of how these protections affect both sides, see Forge Real Estate’s guide to Victoria’s 2026 tenancy reforms.

Rent Increase Notices Now Require 90 Days

Rental providers must now give renters at least 90 days’ written notice of a rent increase, replacing the previous 60-day notice period. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s rent increase rules

For most rental agreements, rent also cannot be increased more than once every 12 months.

The longer notice period does not prevent a rental provider from increasing the rent where the law permits it, but it gives renters more time to assess the increase, compare local rents and challenge the amount if they believe it is excessive.

Rental Bidding Is Prohibited

Victorian rental properties must be advertised at a fixed rental amount.

Rental providers and agents cannot ask for, invite or accept an offer of rent higher than the advertised amount. They also cannot ask for, invite or accept more than one month’s rent in advance during the application process. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s rules for rental applicants

That means a renter cannot secure a property by voluntarily offering an extra $20 or $50 per week above the advertised price and having the agent accept it.

For rental providers and property managers, rental application processes need to be structured around the advertised rent rather than competing price offers.

Minimum Standards Now Matter Before Advertising

Since 25 November 2025, a rental provider or agent must not advertise or offer a property for rent unless they reasonably believe it meets Victoria’s rental minimum standards. Victoria’s rental minimum standards

Consumer Affairs Victoria identifies 15 categories of minimum standards, covering issues such as locks, heating, ventilation, mould and damp, electrical safety, structural condition, bathrooms, kitchens and window coverings.

That moves compliance earlier in the leasing process. Minimum standards are not something a rental provider should only consider after a renter moves in.

What Changed on 31 March 2026?

The next significant stage of the Victoria rental law changes commenced on 31 March 2026 and focused heavily on applications, renter privacy and rent disputes.

A Standard Rental Application Form Is Now Mandatory

Rental providers and agents must use Victoria’s prescribed residential rental application form for rental applications. Official rental application requirements

They can no longer build an application process around whatever questions an agency or third-party platform happens to prefer.

The information requested must be limited to what is permitted through the prescribed process and required to assess matters such as the applicant’s identity, suitability and capacity to pay the advertised rent.

The distinction matters because renter privacy is now an active compliance issue rather than simply an administrative preference.

In July 2026, for example, Consumer Affairs Victoria announced that its Renting Taskforce had intervened after identifying unlawful questions on the widely used 2Apply rental application platform. The platform operator subsequently agreed to remove those questions. Renting Taskforce action on rental application questions

Forge Real Estate also has a practical breakdown of Victorian rent increase and prescribed application rules for 2026.

Third-Party Application and Rent-Payment Fees Were Banned

Since 31 March 2026, businesses operating third-party rental application and rent-payment platforms cannot charge renters fees for submitting a rental application or paying their rent.

Rental providers and agents are still permitted to use these systems, but the platform operator cannot shift those application or payment costs onto the renter. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s March 2026 rental reform announcement

For renters, that removes a recurring frustration with rent-tech platforms: being effectively required to pay an additional fee simply to apply for a home or make a routine rent payment through the system selected by an agency.

What Does the Permanent Renting Taskforce Mean?

This is one of the most important developments for rental providers because Victoria’s new rental rules are being backed by ongoing enforcement.

The Consumer Affairs Victoria Renting Taskforce began operating in 2024 to monitor the rental market and take action against breaches of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 and related rental rules.

On 31 August 2026, Consumer Affairs Victoria confirmed that the taskforce, originally intended to operate for two years, would become permanent. The announcement also confirmed expanded resources, including more inspectors and lawyers. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s permanent Renting Taskforce announcement

Consumer Affairs Victoria says that, since 2024, the taskforce has issued more than 250 official warnings and 130 infringements totalling more than $900,000, alongside court and tribunal proceedings for more serious alleged breaches.

Its work includes monitoring issues such as:

false or unlawful rental advertising

properties that fail to meet minimum standards

rental application practices

bond lodgement failures

other breaches affecting renters’ safety, security and wellbeing.

That means rental compliance should not be approached as a box-ticking exercise completed once a lease has been signed.

Advertising, applications, personal information, property condition, rent increases and notices all create potential compliance points.

How Do You Challenge an Excessive Rent Increase in Victoria?

A renter who believes a proposed rent increase is above the market range can ask Consumer Affairs Victoria for a free rent assessment, also called a rent increase investigation. How to challenge a Victorian rent increase

The process is important because renters do not simply lodge an excessive-rent dispute directly with RDRV as the first step.

Step 1: Request a Rent Assessment

The renter asks Consumer Affairs Victoria to investigate the proposed increase.

A Consumer Affairs Victoria case officer handles the assessment, and an inspector may need to inspect the property.

Step 2: Consumer Affairs Victoria Issues a Report

Consumer Affairs Victoria assesses whether the proposed increase is excessive and provides its report to the renter and rental provider.

Since 31 March 2026, the factors that can be considered include:

comparable rents for properties in the same locality

the difference between the existing and proposed rent

movements in the Melbourne Consumer Price Index

the amount and timing of increases during the previous 24 months

the property’s condition

its location, size and facilities

relevant valuations

certain rental-law infringements or orders.

Step 3: Apply to RDRV if the Dispute Remains

If Consumer Affairs Victoria’s assessment finds the increase is too high and the rental provider will not agree to reduce it, the renter can take the dispute to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV).

RDRV is a free alternative dispute resolution service operated through VCAT. It uses processes such as facilitated discussions and mediation to try to resolve rental disputes without requiring a full tribunal hearing. Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria process

For an excessive-rent dispute, Consumer Affairs Victoria says the renter must apply to RDRV for a hearing within 30 days of receiving the rent assessment report.

Step 4: An Unresolved Matter Can Proceed to VCAT

If RDRV cannot resolve the dispute, it can assist with progressing the matter to VCAT.

VCAT ultimately has the power to determine a maximum rent. For a private rental property, that maximum will usually apply for 12 months.

So while RDRV offers a free and less formal dispute-resolution pathway, an excessive-rent challenge generally begins with a Consumer Affairs Victoria rent assessment.

What Should Rental Providers Be Doing Now?

Rental providers should treat these reforms as current compliance requirements, not future changes.

Before advertising a property, check that it meets the applicable minimum standards.

When accepting applications, make sure the prescribed Victorian rental application process is being used and that applicants are not being asked for information outside the permitted framework.

Review any third-party application or rent-payment platform to ensure the renter is not being charged prohibited fees.

Keep records supporting notices, rent increases, repairs and property condition.

And where a property needs modifications to improve accessibility for a renter, understand the separate rules applying to alterations and accessibility work before approving or refusing a request. Property owners considering practical accessibility upgrades can also consult Mobility Access Modifications for information about accessible home modifications.

The permanent Renting Taskforce means these obligations are backed by an enforcement body that is continuing to monitor the market rather than winding down after a temporary compliance campaign.

What Should Renters Do?

For renters, the reforms create useful rights, but many of them still depend on acting within the correct process.

If you are applying for a rental, you should not be asked to participate in rental bidding or pay a third-party application fee.

If you receive a rent increase, check the effective date, the amount, whether at least 90 days’ notice has been given and when your rent was last increased.

If the proposed increase appears above comparable local rents, request a free Consumer Affairs Victoria rent assessment promptly.

If your rental provider asks you to leave, do not assume that the expiry of your fixed-term agreement is automatically sufficient. The notice must rely on a lawful ground and satisfy the applicable requirements.

For a more detailed renter-focused explanation, see Forge’s guide to Victorian renters’ rights on rent increases, evictions and bond claims.

What Victoria’s Rental Reforms Mean in Practice

The biggest change is not any single new form or notice period.

It is that Victoria’s rental system now combines stronger renter protections with more standardised processes and a permanent enforcement taskforce.

For renters, that means greater security against no-fault eviction, protection from rental bidding and platform fees, tighter controls over application information and a defined pathway for challenging an excessive rent increase.

For rental providers, it means applications, advertising, minimum standards, notices, rent increases and personal-information handling all need to comply with the current rules.

And as of 31 August 2026, the Renting Taskforce is no longer a temporary enforcement initiative.

It is a permanent part of Consumer Affairs Victoria.

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