The Victorian Government has passed new rental laws that will take effect in November 2025, introducing additional compliance requirements for property managers and owners.
Background
The Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Bill 2024 introduces new compliance obligations for rental properties in Victoria.
Key changes include mandatory annual smoke alarm checks for all rental properties and a requirement for properties to meet minimum standards before being advertised for rent. These updates expand existing regulations, increasing the responsibilities of rental providers and property managers.
What's changing?
- Mandatory annual smoke alarm safety checks - All rental properties must have annual smoke alarm safety checks, irrespective of whether a residential rental agreement for rented premises was entered into before, on or after 29 March 2021.
- Minimum standards before advertising - Agencies must have a reasonable belief that properties meet minimum standards before they are advertised or opened for inspection, with significant fines for breach.
- Additional updates - 90-day notice for rent increases or notices to vacate, ban on no-fault evictions and rental bidding, privacy protections for renter application data, higher penalties for non-compliance and more which you can find here.
Why the change for smoke alarm safety checks?
This reform closes a loophole that previously excluded properties with rental agreements signed before March 29, 2021, from mandatory smoke alarm safety checks.
The Government estimates that these reforms remove the exclusion for 240,000 properties, ensuring that annual smoke alarm testing is required at all properties.
It was also was revealed by Residential Tenancies Bond Authority data that in 2023, 5% of rental properties did not require landlords to regularly test smoke alarms.
The catalyst
A tragic event that played a role in the development of these reforms was the tragic death of a 52-year-old man, Simon Peter Scarff.
Simon lost his life while trying to escape a fire in his rental apartment in Ballarat in 2022. The coroner was unable to confirm whether a smoke alarm was present in the property and the periodic lease he was on meant there was no obligation to check.
Consumer Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams visited the home of Sister Jo McConville in November 2024 and announced that the government would pursue reforms the Scarff’s had been campaigning for since Simon’s death to make sure every rental in Victoria had its smoke alarm inspected once a year.
Therese Scarff said the loss of her brother continued to impact her family every day, and their decision to advocate for change was immediate.
”…from our own research trying to figure out how we got into this position we came to realise the periodic lease that Simon had in place wasn't captured in previous reforms. That's where the journey began.”
New minimum standards
In addition to changes under the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment Bill, separate legislative updates introduced in November 2024's Residential Tenancies and Residential Tenancies (Rooming House Standards) Amendment includes the provision of a new rental minimum standard.
From December 1, 2025, all corded internal window coverings in rental properties must have safety anchors installed. Properties without them will be non-compliant and cannot be advertised for rent.
Learn more about this reform at our article here.
