Renting in Victoria: bond, rent rises and notice

The bond

• Cap: generally one month’s rent. A higher bond is allowed only if the weekly rent is over $900 or the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has set a higher amount.
• Where it is held: with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA), a statutory authority that holds bonds in trust.
• Lodgement: if you pay the rental provider, they must lodge the bond with the RTBA within 14 days (not counting public holidays). The RTBA should issue a receipt within 7 days; if none arrives within 15 days, contact the RTBA.
• Paying the RTBA directly: from 9 September 2026 you can elect, by written notice, to pay your bond directly to the RTBA. You must pay within two business days of the RTBA’s request. From 1 June 2027 a rental provider cannot refuse a renter who makes this election.
• No pet bond: providers cannot charge an additional pet bond.
• Top-ups: extra bond can be requested only when a long-term agreement (over 5 years) is renewed, with 120 days’ written notice and no more than once in 5 years, or when the renter makes changes that will not be reversed (and only if the extra amount is $500 or more).
• Claims: from 13 October 2026, a rental provider must give advance notice of any bond claim at the end of a tenancy and provide supporting evidence.

Rent in advance and fees

A provider can ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance, unless the rent is above $900 a week. Rental bidding (offers above the advertised rent) has been banned since 25 November 2025. Since 13 October 2026, landlords and agents cannot charge renters for applications or rent payments, extending the third-party fee ban that began on 31 March 2026. They must offer Centrepay and at least one electronic transfer option, and cannot require a post-dated cheque.

Rent increases

• At least 90 days’ notice (it was 60 days until 25 November 2025).
• The notice must be on the official Notice of rent increase form; a notice on the wrong form is not valid and the renter does not have to pay the increase.
• In most cases no more than once every 12 months (6 months for agreements that began before 19 June 2019).
• In a fixed term, rent cannot rise unless the agreement says so and explains how the increase is calculated. Vague wording such as “market valuation” is not valid.
• There is no legal maximum amount, but a renter can challenge an increase they believe is excessive or invalid.

Ending a tenancy

A rental provider must have a valid reason. Examples and minimum notice, from Consumer Affairs Victoria:

Several reasons need evidence, such as a witnessed statutory declaration or a contract of sale. A notice without the required evidence is invalid. Fixed terms that end roll over to a periodic agreement unless a new fixed term is agreed or there is a valid reason.

As a renter you give 28 days’ notice for most situations, including leaving at the end of an agreement. It is 14 days in listed cases, such as moving into social housing or when the provider gives notice for sale, repairs or owner occupation. Where a fixed term applies, the end date cannot fall before the agreement’s end date.

Entry

Entry is allowed between 8 am and 6 pm, on any day except a public holiday. Notice must be in writing and state the reason:

• routine inspection or valuation: 7 days;
• repairs or legal duties, or a suspected breach: 24 hours;
• showing to renters, buyers or lenders: 48 hours (at least 14 days’ notice before buyer inspections, after a notice of intention to sell).

Routine inspections cannot happen in the first 3 months and no more than once every 6 months.

Minimum standards and safety

Properties must meet minimum standards when advertised and occupied. Since 13 October 2026 landlords and agents must keep proof that the property met them and give it to Consumer Affairs Victoria on request, and gas and electrical safety checks every two years apply to all rentals (gas only where gas appliances exist). Annual smoke alarm checks have been mandatory since 25 November 2025. Minimum energy efficiency standards come into effect in phases from 1 March 2027; they are not yet in force.

Pets

Ask for written consent using a pet request form, one for each pet. The provider has 14 days, from the day after receiving it, to decide. To refuse, the provider must apply to VCAT and tell you within those 14 days, and you cannot keep the pet while VCAT decides. If they do not respond within 14 days, you can keep the pet.

Which professional to consult

A property manager or real estate agent runs most tenancies day to day. For a dispute, a tenant advocacy service or community legal centre can explain the published rules, and Consumer Affairs Victoria is the regulator. This guide states the published rules and is not legal advice.