Victoria Tenant Rights: Eviction, Bonds and Rent Rules
Victoria has abolished no-grounds eviction for both periodic and fixed-term tenancies, most recently on 25 November 2025. Disputes go to VCAT, and a live portable bond scheme now lets eligible tenants move a bond between tenancies.
Information last verified on 19 July 2026. This page presents general legal information, not legal advice.
Jurisdiction scope: This page covers residential tenancies in Victoria only, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), verified 19 July 2026. It does not cover other Australian states or territories, which run different eviction, bond and rent rules; see the linked state pages below. This is general legal information, not advice on your own tenancy.
Governing law and VCAT
Residential tenancies in Victoria are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic). Tenancy disputes, including a landlord’s application to end a tenancy, are decided by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). Since 2026 the Act also defines a pre-VCAT pathway, Residential Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV), in section 3(1), intended to resolve some tenancy disputes before they reach a full VCAT hearing, easing pressure on VCAT’s hearing lists for lower-stakes disagreements. Consumer Affairs Victoria administers bond handling through the RTBA and publishes guidance for landlords, agents and tenants, including template notices and current notice-period tables that are updated as the Act changes. As in other states, a termination notice does not by itself end a tenancy; if the tenant does not leave, the landlord must apply to VCAT for a possession order, and only VCAT can authorise the Sheriff to enforce it.
Can a landlord evict a tenant without a reason in Victoria?
No, on either type of tenancy. Victoria abolished no-reason termination of a periodic tenancy on 29 March 2021. For fixed-term tenancies, the no-fault ending provisions, sections 91ZZD and 91ZZDA, were repealed with effect from 25 November 2025, closing what had been the last route to a no-reason ending in Victoria. A fixed-term tenancy that reaches its end date without the landlord validly ending it on a specific ground now automatically continues as a periodic tenancy under section 91Q, rather than simply expiring. A landlord who wants to end a Victorian tenancy, of either type, must now point to one of the Act’s specific termination grounds.
Landlord grounds and notice periods
Victoria’s Act sets out a list of specific grounds a landlord can use to end a tenancy, covering situations such as sale of the property, the landlord or a family member moving in, significant repairs or renovations, and tenant breaches including rent arrears. Each ground has its own notice period, which can range from a few days for serious breaches to several months for grounds such as sale or renovation, and several grounds carry documentary requirements similar in spirit to the written-evidence rule used in the Australian Capital Territory. Because Victoria periodically adjusts these periods, and RDRV now offers a pathway to resolve some disputes before a VCAT hearing, a tenant who receives a notice should confirm the exact period for the ground cited, and whether it is genuinely available on the facts, with Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT rather than relying on the notice alone.
Bonds and the new portable bond scheme
The standard bond cap in Victoria is one month’s rent, lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority within 10 business days under section 406 of the Act. That cap does not apply to properties renting at exactly $900 a week or more, under regulation 17, where the parties can agree a higher bond. The most significant recent change is Victoria’s Portable Rental Bond Scheme, added as Division 3A (sections 423A to 423ZD) of the Act, which commenced 30 June 2026 and was publicly launched 1 July 2026. It allows an eligible tenant to transfer their existing bond to a new tenancy instead of waiting for a refund and lodging a fresh one, easing the cash-flow gap common when moving.
Rent increases and rent bidding
Rent can be increased once every 12 months under section 44(4A), on 90 days’ written notice, up from 60 days before the 25 November 2025 reforms. Rent bidding is also more tightly controlled in Victoria than in most states: section 30F(3) has long banned soliciting an offer above the advertised rent, and since 25 November 2025 section 30F(4) additionally bans a landlord or agent from accepting an unsolicited higher offer, closing a gap that let a landlord invite bidding indirectly.
Minimum standards
Victoria’s minimum standards sit in sections 65 and 65A of the Act, covering matters such as structural soundness, functioning locks, adequate ventilation and natural light, and working essential services. A new section 65B, effective 25 November 2025, requires the property to meet the applicable minimum standards at the time it is advertised for rent, not only once a tenant moves in, closing a gap where a property could be marketed before repairs were finished.
Key figures at a glance
| Feature | Victoria |
|---|---|
| No-grounds eviction | Abolished (periodic 2021; fixed-term 25 Nov 2025) |
| Governing Act | Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic) |
| Tribunal | VCAT (plus RDRV pre-VCAT pathway) |
| Bond maximum | 1 month's rent (no cap at $900/wk or more) |
| Bond lodgement | RTBA, 10 business days; portable bond scheme live since 30 Jun 2026 |
| Rent increase frequency | Once per 12 months |
| Rent increase notice | 90 days |
| Rent bidding | Soliciting and accepting an unsolicited higher offer both banned |
How Victoria compares to the rest of Australia
Victoria was the last of the six no-grounds-abolition states to close its remaining loophole, ending fixed-term no-fault endings on 25 November 2025 after New South Wales (19 May 2025) and well after the Australian Capital Territory, which was first, on 1 April 2023. Its portable bond scheme, live since 30 June 2026, currently has no equivalent in New South Wales, which has no portable-bond mechanism at all. Western Australia and the Northern Territory remain the only two jurisdictions that still allow no-grounds eviction. See the no-grounds eviction ban across Australia for the full comparison, rental bonds in Australia for how Victoria’s scheme compares with other states, New South Wales tenant rights for a jurisdiction with no portable bond option, and Western Australia tenant rights for a jurisdiction that still permits no-grounds eviction. For the complete national picture, see the Australia tenant rights hub.
Frequently asked questions
This page is general legal information about residential tenancies in Victoria, verified on 19 July 2026. It is not legal advice, and it does not cover every situation. For advice about your own tenancy, consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory, or contact Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my landlord evict me without a reason in Victoria?
No. Victoria has abolished no-reason eviction for both periodic tenancies (since 29 March 2021) and fixed-term tenancies (since 25 November 2025, when sections 91ZZD and 91ZZDA were repealed). A landlord must rely on a specific ground.
How much bond can a landlord charge in Victoria?
Generally one month's rent, lodged with the RTBA within 10 business days. There is no cap for properties renting at exactly $900 a week or more.
What is Victoria’s portable bond scheme?
A scheme under Division 3A of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), commenced 30 June 2026 and launched publicly 1 July 2026, that lets an eligible tenant transfer their existing bond to a new tenancy instead of paying a fresh one while waiting for a refund.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Victoria?
90 days' written notice, once every 12 months, since the notice period was raised from 60 days on 25 November 2025.
Can a landlord accept a higher rent offer in Victoria if the tenant offers it unprompted?
No, not since 25 November 2025. Section 30F(4) now bans accepting an unsolicited higher offer, in addition to the existing ban on soliciting one.
What happens when a fixed-term tenancy ends in Victoria?
If the landlord has not validly ended it on a specific ground, the tenancy automatically continues as a periodic tenancy under section 91Q, rather than simply expiring.
Which body decides tenancy disputes in Victoria?
VCAT, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, decides tenancy disputes including eviction applications. Since 2026 a pre-VCAT pathway called RDRV may resolve some disputes first.
Sources and References
- Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic)(legislation.vic.gov.au).gov
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Renting(consumer.vic.gov.au).gov
- Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA)(rtba.vic.gov.au).gov
- Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)(vcat.vic.gov.au).gov