Important News for Rental Providers (Landlords) — Are You Up to Date?

If you are a property investor in Victoria, or working with rental properties, significant reforms are coming. These changes will affect how you advertise, manage leases, and operate from a compliance standpoint. Getting ahead of these reforms now can avoid penalties and protect your investment.

What’s Changing

Here are the key reforms rental providers need to know:

• Compliance with Minimum Standards Before Advertising — Properties must meet minimum standards at the time of advertising, not just at occupation.
• Prohibition of Rental Bidding — You can’t request or accept offers above the advertised rent or encourage bidding.
• Limit on Rent in Advance — Providers cannot accept uninvited offers to pay more than one month’s rent in advance under a lease.
• Ban on ‘No Reason’/No-Fault Evictions — At the end of a fixed-term lease you must provide a valid reason to terminate (owner/family move-in, major renovations, vacant possession sale, etc).
• Extension of Notice Periods — Notice periods for rent increases or vacate notices rise from 60 to 90 days.
• Right to Challenge Excessive Rent Increases — Tenants may apply to dispute excessive rent increases via dispute resolution channels.
• Mandatory Annual Smoke Alarm Checks — All rental properties (including those leased before 29 March 2021) must now have annual safety checks.
• Prescribed Rental Application Forms & Personal Info Rules — A standard application form will be introduced; personal data handling must comply with new protections.

Mandatory Blind & Curtain Cord Standards — All corded internal window coverings must have an anchor installed so that cords can’t form a loop (effective by 1 Dec 2025).

Why This Matters for You

• Non-compliance can attract significant penalties.
• Your leasing and property management processes must be updated (notice periods, valid termination grounds, justification for rent increases).
• You must audit property condition now — before advertising — to ensure compliance.
• The agent or property manager you choose will become an even more critical decision as regulatory demands rise.
• While the reforms raise compliance obligations, they also reduce risk of dispute with tenants — and standardise best practice across the industry.

Why Engaging a Knowledgeable Buyer’s Agent Matters

As a buyer’s agent, it is vital that we assess every prospective investment property through the lens of current and upcoming compliance requirements. These changes aren’t optional — and ensuring a rental property meets minimum standards can sometimes involve significant cost.

That’s why due diligence must include:

• Identifying gaps in compliance before purchase.
• Estimating rectification and upgrade costs.
• Factoring these requirements into your purchase budget and strategy.

Property investors looking to start or expand their portfolio need a Buyer’s Agent who is:

1. Fully up to date with rental reform changes.
2. Detail-oriented and proactive in risk identification.
3. Able to advise on the long-term impacts of compliance.
4. Focused on protecting the investor’s financial outcomes.

The right advice at the buying stage ensures there are no costly surprises later, and that your investment is future-proofed.

Action Checklist for Rental Providers

Here’s a practical list of steps to take now:

• Audit each rental property in your portfolio and ensure it meets the new minimum standards before the next advertisement.
• Review your lease termination templates — make sure you’re only terminating on valid grounds.
• Update notice templates for rent increases and vacate notices to reflect the 90-day minimum period.
• Confirm your rental application forms are aligned with the upcoming standard form; check your agent’s compliance with personal data rules.
• Ensure annual smoke alarm checks are scheduled for all rental properties (no exceptions).
• Review how properties are advertised: ensure you aren’t accepting rent bids or requesting more than one month’s rent in advance.
• Discuss the upcoming changes with your property manager/agent and confirm they are fully prepared.
• Document everything: rent comparables, property condition reports, works completed, decision-making rationale (especially for rent increases or lease terminations).

Plan upgrades required to meet minimum standards well in advance — don’t wait until just before advertising to act.

Final Thoughts

The rental-law landscape in Victoria is shifting significantly from 25 November 2025. These reforms are designed to rebalance rights and responsibilities across the rental sector. For rental providers, this means meaningful obligations — but also opportunities.

By acting early, auditing your portfolio, choosing the right agent or buyer’s agent, and budgeting for compliance costs, you can turn these reforms into a competitive advantage rather than a risk.

Partner with Us

If you’re a property investor seeking to start or grow your rental portfolio, let us help. At Buyer Solutions, we specialise in identifying investment properties with a full compliance-aware lens — budgeting for required upgrades, managing risk from day one, and advising you with long-term outcomes in mind.

Book your Compliance-Ready Portfolio Review today.

Let’s ensure your next purchase is not only investment-worthy, but regulation-ready.