Media Release: 13 November 2019
Victoria’s specialist tenancy legal service has welcomed the release of draft regulations spelling out how new rental laws will operate.
The Victorian Government released the 200 page Regulatory Impact Statement and 150 pages of regulations yesterday for a short public consultation ending on 18 December 2019.
Tenants Victoria CEO, Jennifer Beveridge, said this was a rare opportunity for over 1.5 million Victorians who rent their homes to shape the laws they will have to live with.
“I would encourage every renter, every community organisation, every local council and others connected to rental housing to have their say. This will be our last opportunity to win improvements through the current reform process.”
Ms Beveridge said Tenants Victoria was undertaking a full legal analysis over the next couple of weeks and would release its findings publicly when they were ready.
“Premier Andrews and Minister Kairouz announced these new laws with huge fanfare. Tenants Victoria has been very supportive of a number of these reforms and we want to make sure these regulations deliver on the promises made to Victorian renters.”
“There are some clear opportunities to strengthen these regulations further to deliver greater safety, stability and privacy.”
“Things like bond limits and changes to urgent repairs should be positive, while other changes such as the introduction of minimum standards, reasonable modifications, mandatory disclosure changes, prohibited lease terms and increased family violence protections are a good start. There are also some areas of concern that need to be addressed before the regulations are finalised.”
“It is vital that people get informed and have their say. We learned through the Make Renting Fair Campaign that there is overwhelming community support for fair rental laws. This is a critical step in ensuring Victoria gets them.”