The premier announced the measures on Wednesday, as well as a ban on landlords and real estate agents charging fees to process rent or conduct background checks. The government will also prohibit rental providers, real estate agents or third-party apps from charging tenants for background checks. A ban on no-fault or no-grounds evictions, which in Victoria allow a landlord to kick a tenant out at the end of a fixed-term lease without a reason, will also be announced. But under the reform, landlords will only be able to issue evictions notices for reasons such as damage, not paying rent or if the owner is moving back in.
The government said there will no longer be an incentive for landlords to evict tenants in order to subsequently raise the rent on the property.
The government said it will introduce legislation to parliament by the end of the year to enact the ban, after a similar bill passed by the New South Wales parliament last week.
Legislation will also be introduced to mandate requirements for evidence of bond claims, with financial penalties for landlords who fail to comply. Landlords will also no longer be able to terminate access to electronic keys or security devices โ also known as fobs โ unless they are terminating the rental agreement.
If a tenant requests an additional electronic key or fob, landlords will also be unable to unreasonably deny it. Allan said the work builds on more than reforms that came into effect in , as well as measures announced last year, including creating a portable bonds scheme and establishing a renting taskforce and a new system, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria.
