Ban on rental bids among new laws

Tenants Victoria welcomes reforms to rental laws that began on 25 November 2025 as a step to strengthen the rights of renters in Victoria. The reforms are in the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Act 2025. 

We are updating our website to include these changes to the rental laws, and to account for Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV), which began in June 2025 and handles some tenancy disputes. See our page on RDRV. 

Banning rental bidding 

Landlords (officially called rental providers) or their agents must not accept bids for rental properties. This means not accepting offers of more than the advertised rental price. They are already banned from asking for or encouraging these offers.  

Banning asking for more than one month’s rent in advance 

Landlords and agents are not allowed to ask, encourage or invite you to pay more than one month’s rent in advance, unless the rent for the property is more than $900 per week. 

Banning no-fault evictions 

If you have a fixed-term lease (officially called a rental agreement), a landlord or agent is banned from evicting you from your home without a legally valid reason.  

This means ‘no-fault’ evictions because a fixed-term lease is ending are banned. For example, your landlord cannot legally give you a ‘notice to vacate’ simply because they want to put the property back on the market straight away to get a higher rent.  

When a fixed-term lease ends, it automatically becomes a periodic (month-by-month) lease, unless you and your landlord agree to enter into a new fixed-term lease, or the landlord gives you notice to vacate for a valid reason, such as selling or renovating the property. 

Extending notice periods 

The notice period for rent increases and most notices to vacate is now 90 days. This has increased from 60 days, giving you more time to prepare.  

Meeting minimum standards when a property is advertised 

A rental property must meet all the minimum standards when it is advertised or offered for rent – not just when you sign the lease or move in. 

Protecting your personal information 

Landlords and agents must protect your personal information from being misused, lost or disclosed. They cannot give your information to anyone who is not authorised to use it. It is an offence to disclose your information without your consent. 

They must also follow new rules around how they use information you provide in your application or lease. This includes destroying – or making sure you cannot be identified in – your information: 

• Within 3 years after you move out and your lease has ended 
• Within 30 days of a property being rented to someone else 
• Within 6 months of a property that you unsuccessfully applied for being rented to someone else, if you agree to let the landlord or agent use your information to apply for another property 

Installing and testing smoke alarms 

Landlords and agents must arrange smoke alarm safety tests every 12 months, no matter when your lease started. This previously applied only to leases that began on or after 29 March 2021. 

Landlords must ensure that all internal window coverings have secured cords. This standard is under the new Residential Tenancies Amendment (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) Regulations 2025.

Rooming house operators must install a fixed heater (or its outlet) secured to a wall, floor or ceiling for each resident’s room, unless they can prove a lawful reason why it cannot be installed. This standard is under the new Residential Tenancies and Residential Tenancies (Rooming House Standards) Amendment (Minimum Energy Efficiency and Safety Standards) Regulations 2024.

The start dates for other renting reforms under the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Act 2025 are still being considered by the Victorian Government. These reforms include: 

Standardising rental application form 

Landlords and agents will have to use a standardised rental application form when you apply for a property.  

They must also follow rules for the type of information they can ask from you. They can only ask you for what is necessary to assess your suitability as a renter and to confirm your identity and capacity to pay the rent. 

Reviewing excessive rent increases 

When assessing whether a proposed rent increase is excessive, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and RDRV will be able consider other things.