The Study Melbourne International Student Employment and Accommodation Legal Service (ISEALS) team have provided information about what is acceptable and lawful regarding rent increases.
ISEALS is a free, confidential and independent legal service to help international students with accommodation issues.
Lawyer Caitlin Louth's key takeaways include:
- If the rental provider wants to increase the rent, there are strict rules about how they notify renters.
- The rental provider must give at least 60 days’ notice in writing that they propose to increase the rent. They must use Consumer Affairs Victoria’s official ‘Notice of proposed rent increase’ form.
- There are limits on how often the rent can be increased. In most cases, since 19 June 2019, rent cannot be increased more than once every 12 months.
- The laws on rent increases may differ depending on the type of rental agreement and when the renter entered that agreement.
- If a renter thinks the proposed rent increase is too high, they can apply to Consumer Affairs Victoria to challenge it.
- Students should get specific legal advice as laws and options depend on particular circumstances, and there may be technical issues we can spot.
Tenants Vic and CAV are always great places to find legal information:
If you want to make an appointment to get free legal advice, please contact our friendly staff at The Study Melbourne Hub by email at info@studymelbourne.vic.gov.au or call 1800 056 449.
