Renter Referral Tool

The Renter Referral Tool is a referral system that allows community workers to connect renters with the most appropriate renter service for legal and/or advocacy support.

The Renter Referral Tool helps to:

• Make it quicker to link Victorian renters to the most appropriate support service
• Reduce the need for renters to repeat their story across multiple agencies
• Navigate the complex service network with clear guidance
• Make the referral and intake processes more efficient, allowing services to focus on helping renters

When this tool is launched, it will replace our current Community worker referral form. This tool was developed using funding from the Victorian Government.

If your organisation is interested in receiving referrals through the Tenants Victoria Renter Referral Tool, or updates about this system, you can register your interest.

Community workers must have their client’s consent to make a referral.

Community workers fill out the referral form with details of the renter and their rental issue. To make effective referrals, this is the information required to determine the most appropriate services for the renter.

This information includes:

• Tenancy type – community housing, private rental, rooming house, public housing or caravan park
• Summary and brief timeline of the rental issue
• Reason for making the referral
• Any deadlines – for example, hearings or limitations

The community worker selects the organisation they want to refer the renter to.

These referral options are generated from our database of organisations and the types of rental issues these organisations can assist with.

These organisations have the option of limiting the number of referrals they receive each week to manage capacity constraints.

Once the community worker has selected the referral organisation, they submit the referral, along with any relevant documents – for example:

• Any relevant notices – for example, a ‘notice to vacate’ or a ‘notice of proposed increase’
• Any relevant VCAT, MCV or other court documents, including orders, applications, ‘notice of hearing’ or ‘statement of proofs’
• The rental agreement
• Any intervention orders if family or personal violence is involved
• Any relevant written communication with the rental provider – for example, emails or texts about the issue
• Photos or evidence of any issues
• Other relevant documents

The referral is sent to the selected organisation via email, and they have 7 days to approve or reject the referral.

If a referral is not approved within 7 days, it is considered rejected and will be referred to Tenants Victoria.

The community worker will receive emails keeping them updated about the progress of their referral, including when it is approved.

Relevant staff can log in to the Renter Referral Tool Portal to approve or reject the referral made to their organisation.

If the referral is approved

If the referral is approved by the referred organisation, they will contact the client to discuss next steps and how they can assist them.

If the referral is rejected

If the organisation is not able to approve the referral, the renter will be referred to Tenants Victoria, and we will seek to assist them.

Tenants Victoria is committed to continually improving and expanding the Renter Referral Tool. Feedback from organisations and community workers using the system plays a central role in shaping future enhancements.

Anyone using the Renter Referral Tool can provide feedback by using our feedback form.

Areas under consideration for future improvements include:

• Further streamlining the referral process to ensure renters are matched with appropriate services as quickly and efficiently as possible
• Exploring a renter-facing version of the directory and triage system, enabling renters to directly identify suitable support services
• Integrating the tool with other sector systems to create smoother, more coordinated referral pathways across the housing support and legal assistance sectors

Information, including any personal information, handled by the Tenants Victoria Renter Referral Tool is governed by our Privacy Policy. Information submitted through the tool is handled by the following systems:

• Actionstep
• Microsoft365
• Supabase
• SMTP2GO

You can view their privacy and security practices on their websites.

Information is received and held by service providers within their email systems (as per existing referral processes). Renters and community workers can contact the relevant service provider directly for information about how different services handle their data.