Consumer Affairs Victoria’s Renting Taskforce, announced in March 2024, has now issued more than 40 fines totalling $450,000 since starting its operations.
The taskforce was established to crack down on rental law offences such as false advertising, rental bidding, not lodging a bond and renting out a property that doesn’t meet the mandatory minimum standards.
The taskforce is monitoring rental campaigns and inspecting properties across the state to make sure rentals are being advertised fairly and properties meet the mandatory minimum standards.
Fines have been issued for not advertising a rental property at a fixed price, not lodging a bond with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority and letting a renter move into a property that doesn’t meet the minimum standards.
The is a reminder to agents and rental providers to check that their advertising and letting practices comply with rental laws and avoid pitfalls that can lead to breaches. Most fines have been for not advertising properties at a fixed price, an offence under Victoria’s rental bidding prohibitions. These laws also ban agents or rental providers from inviting or soliciting a higher bid.
Taskforce officers also does inspection blitzes in areas with a high proportion of rental properties to make sure that rental properties on the market meet the minimum standards.
When the taskforce identifies properties that do not meet the minimum standards, they work with the property agent and rental provider to make sure repairs are made so that a renter can move in.
Moving in a renter without making the repairs is an offence and penalties may apply.
If you see an advertised rental property that doesn’t meet the minimum standards – or may be in breach of another rental law – you can report it to us anonymously through our new online form.
Learn more about the Renting Taskforce.