Victoria Rental Law Changes October 2026: What to Do

From 13 October 2026, a new set of Victorian rental laws starts. The changes come from the Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025, which amends the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) set them out on its New changes to the rental laws page, last updated 27 September 2026.

The common thread: rental providers and property managers need to be able to prove compliance, not just claim it.

What's changing on 13 October 2026

CAV lists five changes that take effect on 13 October 2026.

1. Gas and electrical safety checks every 2 years for all rental agreements

Rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson every two years for all rental agreements, "whether they commenced before, on or after 13 October 2026" (CAV).

Until now, the two-yearly checks applied mainly to agreements entered into on or after 29 March 2021. The amending Act extends them to older agreements that don't already include the prescribed safety term (Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025, s 17 and s 20). For those agreements, the rental provider must:

• make sure a licensed or registered electrician checks all electrical installations, appliances and fittings the rental provider supplies, every 2 years
• where the rental provider supplies gas appliances, fixtures or fittings, make sure a licensed or registered gasfitter checks all gas installations and fittings, every 2 years
• give the renter the date of the most recent check in writing if the renter asks.

CAV's existing guidance says a gas safety check must be done by a gasfitter endorsed for Type A gas appliance servicing. Electrical safety checks follow AS/NZS 3019 (CAV: Rental providers – gas and electrical safety). That page (updated May 2026) still says checks aren't required for pre-2021 agreements; the new law replaces that from 13 October.

2. Records showing compliance with the rental minimum standards

Since 25 November 2025, a property has had to meet the rental minimum standards when it is advertised, and not only before the renter moves in. From 13 October 2026, rental providers and their agents must also keep records showing the property met the minimum standards before it was advertised or offered, or before the renter moved in. They must give those records to CAV if asked (CAV).

The Act creates two record-keeping duties:

• Before move-in: the rental provider must keep records that show compliance with the minimum standards (new s 65C).
• When advertising or offering a property: the rental provider or their agent must keep records that show compliance at that point (new s 65E).

At the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria's request, the records must be produced in the way the Director specifies, as soon as practicable. Failing to do so carries a maximum penalty of 150 penalty units for an individual and 750 penalty units for a body corporate (new ss 65D and 65F). The Director may publish guidance in the Government Gazette about which records are enough.

3. Gas check before draughtproofing

If the rental provider supplies gas appliances, fixtures or fittings, draughtproofing work can only go ahead after a licensed or registered gasfitter has done a pre-draughtproofing gas check within the previous 6 months (new s 68C). The gasfitter must advise the rental provider of:

• any flueless space heaters or open-flued gas appliances
• areas that need adequate ventilation for appliances to operate safely
• areas where draughtproofing should not be done.

4. Ban on rental application fees

CAV says it will be an offence for a rental provider or agent to charge a renter fees to make a rental application. Since 31 March 2026, third-party platforms have already been banned from charging renters these fees. The new rule extends the ban to rental providers and agents. Under the amended s 51A, the maximum penalty is 80 penalty units for an individual and 400 penalty units for a body corporate. Banks (authorised deposit-taking institutions) are excepted.

5. Strengthened bond claims

At least 3 days before claiming a bond, the rental provider or agent must give each renter evidence supporting the claim. That evidence must not conflict with the condition report. A bond application to VCAT must include supporting evidence that is consistent with the condition report (Act, ss 10–11).

Who the changes apply to

• Rental providers (landlords), whether they manage the property themselves or use an agent.
• Property managers and agencies. Many duties apply to "rental providers and their agents", and the advertising-stage record duty applies directly to agents.
• Existing tenancies. The gas and electrical checks now apply whenever the agreement started.
• Rooming house operators. The Act adds similar duties to keep records for rooms, facilities and common areas. If you run rooming houses, check CAV's rooming house guidance.

Practical checklist: before and after 13 October

Before 13 October (or as soon as possible):

1. Audit your portfolio. List every property with its agreement start date, and note whether gas appliances are supplied.
2. Find the last gas and electrical safety check dates. If a property has no check on file from the last 2 years, book one. Pre-2021 tenancies are the most likely gap.
3. Stop charging application fees. Check your application process, website and any platforms you use.
4. Hold off on draughtproofing at properties with gas until a pre-draughtproofing gas check has been done within the last 6 months.
5. Brief your team on the new bond claim evidence step and the 3-day notice.

From 13 October onwards:

1. Keep minimum standards evidence for each property. Do this at advertising and again before each move-in. Use CAV's minimum standards checklist as a guide.
2. Diarise safety checks on a 2-year cycle for every property.
3. Before any bond claim, match your evidence to the condition report and send it to each renter at least 3 days before you lodge.
4. Watch for CAV guidance on what counts as sufficient records, and update your process when it's published.

Record-keeping: how to prove compliance to CAV

CAV can ask for your records, and you must produce them as soon as practicable. That means the evidence needs to exist before you advertise, and you need to be able to find it quickly. Until the Director publishes guidance, a sensible evidence pack for each property might include:

• A dated minimum standards checklist covering the 15 categories. These include heating, electrical safety, locks, mould and damp, window coverings and window covering anchors (CAV: minimum standards).
• Date-stamped photos of key items, such as the fixed heater, switchboard and RCD, locks, blinds and their cord anchors, and the bins.
• Trade reports and invoices, for example electrical safety check reports under AS/NZS 3019 and gas safety check records. CAV's guidance says each record should show the tradesperson's name, licence or registration number, the date, the results, and any repairs and actions taken.
• The advertising date and the move-in date, so each record can be tied to the point in time the law refers to.
• Smoke alarm records. Annual smoke alarm checks have applied to all agreements since 25 November 2025.

Keep the evidence with the property, not scattered across inboxes, phones and contractor portals. If a property changes managers, the records should move with it.

How RiskyMate helps keep the evidence with the property

RiskyMate was built by Adam Petkov-Rothapfel, who has spent around 16 years in property management. It keeps compliance records and evidence attached to each property. That includes smoke alarm checks, gas and electrical safety checks and minimum standards evidence. Agencies, property managers, self-managing rental providers and tradies all work from the same record. Through integrations with TradieMate and TELL, trade reports and job details can flow into the property's record instead of sitting in separate systems.

See how it works: book a demo at riskymate.com.

FAQ

When do the Victorian rental law changes start?

13 October 2026. CAV lists strengthened bond claims, minimum standards records, gas and electrical checks for all agreements, the pre-draughtproofing gas check and the application fee ban as starting that day.

Do gas and electrical safety checks now apply to older rental agreements in Victoria?

Yes. From 13 October 2026, checks every 2 years apply to all rental agreements, whether they started before, on or after that date. The gas check applies where the rental provider supplies gas appliances, fixtures or fittings.

What records do I need to keep to show a rental property meets minimum standards?

Records sufficient to show the property met the minimum standards when it was advertised or offered, and before the renter moved in. CAV may publish guidance on what is sufficient. Until then, dated checklists, photos and trade reports are a practical approach.

Can CAV ask to see my minimum standards records?

Yes. The rental provider, or the agent for advertising-stage records, must produce them as soon as practicable, in the manner the Director specifies.

Can rental providers or agents charge rental application fees in Victoria?

No. From 13 October 2026, it is an offence for a rental provider or agent to charge a renter fees to make a rental application. Third-party platforms have been banned from charging these fees since 31 March 2026.

Do I need a gas check before draughtproofing a rental property?

Yes, if the property has gas appliances, fixtures or fittings supplied by the rental provider. A licensed or registered gasfitter must do a pre-draughtproofing gas check within the 6 months before the work.

Sources

• Consumer Affairs Victoria, New changes to the rental laws (last updated 27 September 2026)
• Consumer Affairs Victoria, Rental providers: gas and electrical safety
• Consumer Affairs Victoria, Rental properties – minimum standards
• legislation.vic.gov.au, Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (No. 46 of 2025)
• legislation.vic.gov.au, Residential Tenancies Act 1997
• vic.gov.au, Strengthening rights for renters

This article is general information only and is not legal advice. It reflects official sources as at 11 October 2026. Laws and guidance can change, so check the current Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance or get independent legal advice about your situation.