The Victorian Government has recently passed significant reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act under the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Bill 2024. These changes are designed to strengthen Renter protections and improve housing standards across the state.
At Miles, we are committed to keeping our Rental Providers informed, supported, and confident in navigating the evolving rental landscape. These legislative updates are scheduled to come into effect by November 2025, with some additional reforms expected to roll out later this year.
Here’s a overview of the changes that may affect you:
1. Ban on Rental Bidding All forms of rental bidding will be banned. Agents and rental providers will no longer be allowed to accept offers above the advertised price. This aims to promote transparency and ensure fairness for all applicants.
2. Increased Notice Periods The required notice period for rental increases will be extended from 60 days to 90 days. The same 90-day notice period will also apply to most end-of-tenancy notices, with the exception of properties already sold, which will retain the 60-day requirement.
3. Ban on No-Fault Evictions Otherwise known as the ‘end of fixed term notice to vacate’, Rental Providers will no longer be able to end a fixed-term tenancy without a valid reason. This change removes the current provision that allows ending a lease purely based on the lease term ending. Valid reasons for ending a tenancy will now include situations such as the property being sold or the owner intending to move back in.
4. New Standard Application Form A new, standardised rental application form will be introduced to ensure consistency, clarity, and fairness in the application process. Agencies will also be required to protect renter privacy when handling application information.
5. Minimum Property Standards Must Be Met Before Advertising From now on, all rental properties must meet minimum standards at the time they are listed for lease—not just when the renter moves in. This will help raise the baseline of quality across the market.
6. Window Covering Safety Requirements Effective from 1st December 2025, all corded internal window coverings in residential rental properties must have anchors installed to secure or tension cords, preventing them from forming a loose loop—an important step in enhancing safety, particularly for children.
Our Property Management team is undergoing regular training to stay on top of legislative changes and ensure our Rental Providers are fully compliant.
We’ll continue to provide timely updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to discuss how these changes may impact your investment, please don’t hesitate to contact your dedicated Property Manager.
For further details and to review the official government announcement, visit the Victorian Premier's media release.
