Family violence and your tenancy

New family violence protections

Victim-survivors of family violence will be able to apply to VCAT to get a lease in their name (excluding a perpetrator) or remove themselves from a lease and also protect themselves from the debt created by the perpetrator due to damage to the property or unpaid rent.

Applications by victim-survivors will be heard within 3 days to help protect them.

Specialist family violence services remain open during the outbreak of COVID-19. There are also additional resources available online to support people during this time. See:

• COVID-19 and family violence [DVVIC website]
• Emergency contacts [DVVIC website]

An intervention order is a court order to to protect a person, their children and their property from another person’s behaviour.

If you experience violence from a family member, partner or ex-partner, you can apply for a:

• Family violence intervention order [Magistrates’ Court of Victoria website]

If you live in rental housing and have been affected by family violence (sometimes called domestic violence), find information about:

• Changing the locks
• Getting an intervention order
• Staying in the rental property
• Leaving the rental property
• Applying to VCAT (including sample applications)
• Public housing tenants

family violence protection TENANCY KIT (tenantsvic.org.au/family-violence-protection)

Also see Consumer Affairs Victoria for information on:
Changing the rental arrangement in violent situations [CAV website]
Changing the locks [CAV website]