Understanding Victorian Tenancy laws
By | 7th Mar 18

Read our guide in this blog article

500 sections of legislation are very difficult to know fluently let alone understand. That is the number of sections in the Victoria Tenancies Act so we have compiled some common rights that tenants have if you are a renter yourself or a property owner wanting to know more information.

The tenant’s right to compensation

A property owner is guided by legislations with a care of duty to repair property or maintenance repairs if something should fail during the period their property is tenanted. You may have experienced a stove breaking down or hot water system failing as a tenant, but do you know that if landlords do not undertake repairs in a timely matter renters have a right to be compensated? According to the act, renters have the rights to seek compensation up to six years from when they could have legally made a compensation claim. If you would like more information on compensation, you can view the full tenancies act here.

Landlords must provide notice prior to entering the property

Your landlord or property manager may need to enter your property for many reasons such as your scheduled routine inspection or if they wish to show potential renters through the property if your lease is coming to an end. There are some defined rules when it comes to how much notice the landlord or property manager needs to give the tenant. Property managers and landlords are legally required to give at least 24 hours’ notice to the tenant to enter the property and can have entry between 8am – 6pm. The following purposes are allowed under the act:

  • valuing the property
  • required duties in the tenancy agreement
  • showing prospective renters or buyers through the property
  • to verify that the tenant has not met their duties according to the act

What happens after your fixed term lease has ended?

Did you know that after your lease term expires your lease rolls onto to a month-by-month arrangement? This means that you are not locked into a contract and are on a periodic tenancy. You will be pleased to know you do not have to move out immediately unless you have been given notice by the landlord to vacate the property. Tenants will can continue to be on a month-to-month arrangement until they give 28 days notice to vacate or your landlord would like to continue with another fixed term lease.

You don’t have to break your lease if you need to move out

Life happens and sometimes situations change, which may mean you may need to move out from your rental. It can be costly to go through the process of breaking a lease as you are obliged to pay for the readvertising costs and continue paying rent until a new tenant is placed. You can avoid these costs if you yourself are able to find a suitable tenant to take over your lease. Keep in mind that your landlord has the ability to reject the transfer if the replacement tenant in some circumstances.

 

Our property management team are award winning for a reason. We are able to comfortably step through the various steps of leasing your property and are always here to help. If you would like more information on how we can help you get in touch today by emailing or calling us to set up an appointment. buyer@advantageproperty.com.au or 03 9883 8900

 

*Please note information in this article is general in nature. Please seek specific and professional advice according to your situation.