Victoria bans rental application fees from 13 October as landlords face new proof rules

Renters will no longer pay to apply for a property and must be shown evidence before any bond claim. Landlords and agents take on new record-keeping obligations to prove they comply.

From Tuesday 13 October 2026, Victorian landlords and real estate agents commit an offence if they charge a renter to apply for a rental property.

The fee ban is one of five changes to Victoria's rental laws starting that day under the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Act 2025, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria, the state's consumer regulator.

The other four rely on proof. Landlords must:

• give notice and produce evidence before claiming on a bond
• keep records showing a property met minimum standards before it was advertised
• arrange gas and electrical safety checks every two years on every lease, including older leases that were never required to have them
• have a gas safety inspection done before any draughtproofing work

The fee ban now covers landlords and agents

"It will be an offence for the rental provider or agent to charge a renter fees to make a rental application," Consumer Affairs Victoria said. "Rental provider" is the term Victorian tenancy law uses for a landlord.

Since 31 March 2026, rental application apps and rent payment platforms have been banned from charging renters to apply or to pay rent.

Landlords and agents could still use those platforms. From 13 October, the ban extends to landlords and agents themselves.

Tenants Victoria, the state's peak tenant advocacy body, lists a wider set of charges that landlords, agents and rent tech companies cannot pass on from 13 October. These include fees for failed rent payments, background checks, rental history or database checks, credit checks, identity verification and administrative costs.

Nick Staikos, who was Consumer Affairs Minister when the laws passed in March 2025, presented the ban as a matter of fairness. "We're banning fees for rental applications or payments ... because it's only fair that renters are treated with respect," he said.

Leases signed before March 2021 now need safety checks

The two-yearly gas and electrical safety checks aren't new, but who they apply to has changed.

Until now, they applied only to rental agreements entered into after 29 March 2021, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria. For agreements entered into before that date, the regulator strongly encouraged checks but did not require them.

From 13 October, the requirement covers every rental agreement, whether it began before, on or after that date. A renter who has been in the same home since before March 2021 may never have had a required check. Their landlord must now arrange one.

A licensed or registered gasfitter endorsed for servicing Type A gas appliances (household heaters, stoves and gas hot water systems) must carry out the gas check. A licensed electrician must check all electrical installations and fittings. Both checks are due at least every two years.

Renters can ask for a copy of the most recent gas safety check, and the landlord must provide it within seven days of a written request, Consumer Affairs Victoria said. Tenants Victoria says landlords or agents must also tell renters in writing when the most recent check was done.

A separate rule covers draughtproofing, the work of sealing gaps around doors, windows and vents to stop heat escaping. Before draughtproofing can begin, a licensed or registered gasfitter must have inspected the property in the previous six months to identify its gas ventilation safety needs. The Victorian Government says some gas heaters need fresh air to work safely, and that homes with open-flued or flueless gas heaters should be checked for carbon monoxide leaks after weather sealing. Draughtproofing is also one of the new minimum energy efficiency standards due to be phased in from 1 March 2027.

Bond claims and listings now need a paper trail

A bond is the security deposit a renter pays at the start of a lease. Under the new rules, landlords must tell the renter in advance if they plan to claim on it at the end of the agreement, and must back the claim with evidence, Consumer Affairs Victoria said. Tenants Victoria says a landlord or agent making a claim through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria must supply evidence such as photos or quotes.

Landlords or their agents must also keep records showing the property met Victoria's minimum rental standards before it was advertised or offered, or before the renter moved in. Advertising a property that does not meet those standards has been an offence since 25 November 2025.

Trade publication Real Estate Today Australia said the change shifts the question for agencies from whether a property complied to "Can we prove the property was compliant at the relevant time?" It warned that the safety check change "could require agencies managing large portfolios to review hundreds or thousands of property records."

What is already at stake

The rental laws already carry significant maximum penalties, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

A business that charges a fee for a rental application or rent payment faces up to 80 penalty units ($16,728) for an individual and 400 penalty units ($83,640) for a company.

Advertising or offering a property that does not meet minimum standards carries up to 60 penalty units ($12,546) for an individual and 300 penalty units ($62,730) for a company. A Victorian penalty unit is worth $209.10 in the 2026-27 financial year.

As at 6 October 2026, Consumer Affairs Victoria's penalties list does not set out penalties for the obligations that start on 13 October.

Enforcement is already under way. Consumer Affairs Victoria's Renting Taskforce had issued more than $830,000 in fines since it began operating in 2024, the regulator said on 31 March 2026.

Part of a longer overhaul

The October changes are the latest step in reforms that began on 25 November 2025 with a ban on no-fault evictions, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria. The next major stage is the phased introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards from 1 March 2027. These cover heating, cooling, hot water, showerheads, insulation and draughtproofing.

Some earlier reforms are already in use. Renters had moved more than $1 million in bonds through the Portable Rental Bond Scheme by 24 July 2026, the Victorian Government said.

The scheme lets a renter transfer their bond to a new rental instead of paying a second bond before the first is refunded. The government said the average renter saves more than $2,500 by porting their bond.

What this means for renters and landlords

If you rent, you should not be asked to pay anything to apply for a property from 13 October, whether by a landlord, an agent or an app. You can ask in writing for a copy of the latest gas safety check, and the landlord has seven days to provide it. If your landlord plans to claim on your bond, you should be told in advance and shown the evidence behind the claim. Keeping your own dated photos from move-in day gives you a record to compare against.

If you're a landlord, find out when your property last had gas and electrical safety checks, particularly if the lease began before 29 March 2021. Consumer Affairs Victoria's guidance doesn't say how quickly a first check must be done on an older lease, so confirm the timing with your property manager or the regulator. Keep a detailed condition report, photos and invoices from the start of each tenancy. Before relisting, make sure you have a record showing the property met minimum standards when it was advertised.

For both, the next deadline is 1 March 2027, when the energy efficiency standards begin to apply.

This is general information, not legal advice. Anyone unsure how the rules apply to a specific property can check with Consumer Affairs Victoria or Tenants Victoria.