The state government’s renting taskforce team is now attending rental inspections across Victoria to check that rental properties meet the mandatory minimum standards.
Letting a new renter move into a rental property that does not meet the minimum standards is a criminal offence, with maximum penalties of more than $11,000 for individuals and more than $57,000 for companies.
The rental minimum standards include things that most people would reasonably expect in a home, such as a functional kitchen, lockable external doors, and being structurally sound and waterproof.
The renting taskforce uses intelligence and market analysis to boost monitoring of rental campaigns, conduct targeted inspections, and act on identified breaches.
Consumer Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams said that the only ones who should be worried were the ones doing the wrong thing.
“Most rental providers and estate agents do the right thing – our renting taskforce is cracking down on those trying to get away with rental offences,” she said.
Residents who can report the false advertising of rental through an short, anonymous, online complaint form to Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Information: consumer.vic.gov.au/rental-listing
