Consumer Affairs Victoria’s renting taskforce visited the Footscray area on Saturday, as it continues to check advertised rental properties meet minimum standards.
The taskforce targeted properties open for inspection in its latest blitz, following recent operations in Werribee, Fitzroy and Clayton. More will be held in 2025.
The taskforce’s goal is to make sure rental laws are understood and met. Inspection blitzes check that properties advertised for rent match their advertising and are safe, secure and fit for renters to move into.
Victoria’s 14 rental minimum standards cover aspects of properties people would reasonably expect in a home, like structural soundness, a functional kitchen and secure windows and doors.
Letting a new renter move into a property that doesn’t meet the minimum standards is an offence, with maximum penalties of more than $11,000 for individuals and more than $59,000 for companies.
As well as conducting regular blitzes, the taskforce monitors the market, reviews reports from the public and carries out targeted inspections of rental properties.
The taskforce has now issued more than 55 fines totalling more than $540k for breaches of rental laws, including advertising properties without a fixed price, failing to meet minimum standards and not lodging bonds.
If you see a rental property advertised that you don’t think meets the minimum standards or doesn’t look like its marketing, you can report it to us anonymously through our online form.
Learn more about the renting taskforce.