Other pages have information about paying the bond and illegal discrimination.

A rental contract is a contract in between a renter and a rental provider (landlord). Once you have signed it, there is no 'cooling off' duration. It is crucial to understand what you are accepting when you sign a rental arrangement.

Other pages have information about rooming homes and caravan parks or things you inspect when starting a website arrangement in a property park or village.

Questions tenants can not be asked

A rental supplier is not allowed to request specific details from potential renters:

- whether they have previously taken legal action or had a disagreement with a rental provider

• about their bond history
• for a full declaration from a credit or bank account with all the transactions (you can erase deals that you do not feel comfy showing).
• certain protected qualities detailed in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (e.g. ethnicity). If they do make such as request, they should supply the factor they are asking for that information in writing.
  
  Report a problem with an advertised rental residential or commercial property
  
  Prospective renters, real estate representatives or members of the public with issues about an advertised rental residential or commercial property can report an issue to us. Learn more, view Report an issue with an advertised rental residential or commercial property.
  
  Using the proper agreement (lease)
  
  You need to utilize the 'prescribed form' when participating in a composed rental agreement. A prescribed type is defined by Victorian rental law.
  
  We recommend utilizing the official type supplied on our site.
  
  You can learn more about domestic rental arrangements, and find the kinds on that page, before you sign.
  
  Either a rental supplier or tenant can request that particular conditions be included in a rental contract. For instance, a rental company might include a condition that says no cigarette smoking is permitted inside the residential or commercial property.
  
  A rental provider or renter can not consent to any terms which are inconsistent with the regard to the Residential Tenancies Act or the basic rental contract. This will be invalid. For instance, the rental provider can not consist of a term stating that they will examine the residential or commercial property monthly.
  
  You can see a list of conditions that are not enabled to be consisted of on residential rental agreements.
  
  Receiving notices and other files digitally
  
  Renters and rental companies can consent to receive notifications and other files from each other electronically (normally through email). This should be kept in mind in the rental contract.
  
  If you grant receive notices digitally, ensure you provide an e-mail address that you inspect frequently.
  
  An occupant can withdraw their permission at any time by telling their rental company. We suggest doing this in composing.
  
  If your email address changes throughout your rental agreement, you must inform the other celebration immediately.
  
  Paying rent and fees
  
  Renters must be provided a minimum of one way to pay lease that does not require them to pay costs. For example, this may be by direct bank transfer or direct debit.
  
  A rental supplier can not require the occupant to pay more than one month's lease beforehand unless the weekly lease is more than $900. If you desire to pay more, you can.
  
  To find out more, see paying lease and rent in advance.
  
  Rental suppliers can not charge for:
  
  - the costs of preparing the agreement.
• a set of all home keys for each occupant on the contract.
  
  Bond amounts
  
  Usually, a rental company can not ask for a bond that is greater than the quantity of one month's lease. Discover more about bond payments and amounts.
  
  Before you sign
  
  When you make an arrangement with somebody to rent their residential or commercial property to reside in, you are getting in a domestic rental agreement. This is a legal file, and it can take time to end the arrangement, so you require to be confident that the residential or commercial property is right for you.
  
  Before you sign a rental agreement, the rental supplier must let the occupant know:
  
  - if they intend to sell the facilities, and if so, whether they have engaged a representative to sell the residential or commercial property, or if there is a contract of sale.
• if a mortgagee is doing something about it to have the facilities, and if so, whether a mortgagee has actually commenced procedures to enforce the mortgage.
• if they are the owner of the residential or commercial property, or if they are not the owner of the residential or commercial property but they have a right to lease the residential or commercial property out.
• if the facilities are supplied with electrical power from an ingrained electricity network. If so, the rental service provider must offer the trading name of the ingrained network, ABN of the ingrained network operator, the contact details, and electrical power tariffs and any other fees appropriate (or information where that details might be accessed).
• if, to the best of the rental supplier's understanding, the rental residential or commercial property or common residential or commercial property has been the area of a murder in the last 5 years.
• if the rental residential or commercial property satisfies the rental minimum requirements.
• if, in the last three years, the rental service provider has actually received a repair notice( s) looking for repair work of mould or damp related to the building structure. (This disclosure requirement just begins after 31 December 2021).
• the date when an electrical power safety check was last conducted at the properties.
• the date when a gas security check was last conduced at the properties.
• whether there are any impressive recommendations from the electricity and gas security checks.
• if the rental residential or commercial property is a heritage noted location.
• if, to the finest of the rental supplier's understanding, the rental residential or commercial property has been utilized for the trafficking or cultivation of a drug of dependence in the last five years.
• if, to the very best of the rental provider's understanding, the rental residential or commercial property has asbestos in it.
• if, to the best of the rental company's understanding, the rental residential or commercial property is impacted by any building or planning application lodged with a relevant preparation authority.
• if the rental facilities go through a notification, order, statement, report or suggestion issued by an appropriate structure surveyor, court surveyor, public authority or federal government department connecting to any structure defects or safety concerns connected with the rented properties or common residential or commercial property. If the answer is yes, the rental provider must supply a description of the order, notice or report.
• if there is an existing domestic structure work dispute under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 connecting to the rental facilities.
• if there is a current disagreement under Part 10 of the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (a dispute between owners, homeowners and/or the manager) which impacts the rental properties.
• whether the rental property is subject to the owners corporation rules (the leasing service provider need to connect these the guidelines to the application form).
  
  Terms that need to not be in your rental agreement
  
  A rental provider or renter must not prepare or authorise the preparation of a rental arrangement of up to five years which consists of a restricted or invalid term.
  
  List of conditions that will be void
  
  If a rental contract consists of extra terms aside from the ones in the standard kind rental contract, these terms may be void if:
  
  - the term has actually been prohibited (see listed below).
• the term seeks to omit, restrict, or modify or has the result of excluding, limiting or customizing the application of the Residential Tenancies Act, including the exercise of any rights under that Act, to the rental contract.
  
  This includes a term that is not set out in the rental agreement but is pointed out in the rental arrangement.
  
  If you think an invalid term has been consisted of in your rental contract, seek suggestions from us. VCAT may declare that a regard to a rental contract is invalid.
  
  Note: the requirements connecting to invalid terms do not apply to a term of a basic form rental arrangement of more than five years.
  
  List of conditions that can not be consisted of
  
  Renters can not be required to:
  
  - secure any type of insurance coverage.
• pay extra rent or penalties if they break the rules in the agreement.
• pay for the rental provider or agent to prepare the arrangement.
• pay rent ahead of time in a manner that requires extra costs (other than bank fees or account costs payable on the tenant's bank account).
• utilize the services of a 3rd party provider nominated by the rental service provider aside from an ingrained network.
• spend for or organise maintenance of safety devices that is the rental provider's responsibility.
• indemnify the rental company.
  
  The agreement also can not say that:
  
  - lease will be lowered if the occupant does not break the guidelines in the contract.
• the occupant will be paid rebates or other payments if they do not break the guidelines in the arrangement.
• the renter will be bound by a contract that they did not accept in composing after having an opportunity to evaluate it before getting in into the rental agreement.
• the tenant can not make a claim for payment due to the fact that the leased properties are not offered on the start date of the contract.
• the tenant has to pay the rental provider's expenses of filing an application at VCAT.
• the occupant has to pay an insurance excess for a rental company's policy.
• the renter is liable by default for an insurance excess to be paid under an insurance plan of the rental service provider (each scenario needs to be thought about).
• the tenant has to pay a fixed fee for terminating an arrangement early (unless the basis for determining the repaired costs has been set out in the agreement)
  
  There is a charge for consisting of a prohibited term in a rental contract.
  
  Minimum standards for a rental residential or commercial property
  
  Rental suppliers should ensure their residential or commercial property is preserved according to rental minimum requirements. This consists of making sure:
  
  - the residential or commercial property has no mould, pests or vermin - existing appliances like ovens and stoves are in working order
• there is a safe, working heating unit
• there is a reasonable supply of hot water to the cooking area and bathroom
• the residential or commercial property's structure is safe and weatherproof.
  
  If the rental residential or commercial property does not fulfill the minimum requirements, occupants can end the rental agreement before they move in. Renters can also ask for an urgent repair work to make the rental residential or commercial property fulfill the minimum standards at any time after they relocate.
  
  Note: this just uses to brand-new rental arrangements signed from 29 March 2021. If your rental arrangement was signed before this date, you can find more info on Transition to new renting laws.
  
  This is not a full list of the minimum standards. To find out more about minimum requirements, see Minimum standards for rental residential or commercial properties.
  
  What rental providers must offer tenants
  
  At the start of every rental arrangement, the rental supplier or agent should offer occupants:
  
  - a copy of the if it's in writing
• a copy of our Renters assist either as a paper copy or digitally if you have accepted receive files digitally
• a phone number in case you require immediate repair work done out of service hours
• the rental supplier or representative's complete name, a postal address for sending them files, and an email address (if they concurred in writing to receive notices and other documents digitally).
• a set of secrets for each renter who signed the contract.
  
  If tenants needed to pay a bond, the rental provider needs to offer them:
  
  - 2 copies of the condition report (or one electronic copy).
• a bond lodgement form to sign, so the bond cash can be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority.
  
  If there is an owners' corporation, renters must be provided a copy of their rules.
  
  Checklist for signing a rental arrangement
  
  - The contract is not incomplete or blank.
• The bond is not more than one month's lease unless the lease is more than $900 weekly.
• You are not required to pay more than one month's rent in advance (unless you pick to or your rent is more than $900 per week).
• There is at least one way to pay the lease where you do not have to pay a charge to a 3rd party.
• Negotiate any additional conditions that you want in the agreement (for instance, that the rental service provider will change the oven within 6 months).
• There is no charge to prepare the rental agreement.