TENANT INFORMATION GUIDE FOR TENANTS (VIC) | Page 8

Renting a home

Signing your rental agreement

Your landlord or agent can be fined if:

Before you sign the tenancy agreement:

• they do not provide these details on or
before the first day of your occupancy
• they do not advise you of any changes
to their contact details within seven
days.

• your landlord or agent must give you
a copy of the unsigned document
• read it carefully and make sure you
understand it
Extra terms and conditions may be
included if you and your landlord or
agent agree, but these must comply
with the Act.
Once the tenancy agreement has been
signed, your landlord or agent must give
you a copy within 14 days.
Your landlord or agent must give you:
• their full name and address
• an emergency telephone number and
(in the case of agents) a fax number.
If an agent (rather than the landlord)
manages your property, they must also
provide in writing:
• details of who can authorise urgent
repairs, and
• if the agent can authorise urgent
repairs, the maximum amount they
can authorise.
The landlord or agent should also give
you a copy of the owners corporation
rules, if any apply to the property. This is
likely if you are renting an apartment, a
townhouse or a unit. The rules may cover
day-to-day issues such as parking, pets
and noise.

Tenants with children
In most circumstances, a landlord cannot
legally refuse to rent a property to tenants
with children. This is discrimination and is
against the law.
For information about discrimination in
accommodation, contact the Victorian
Equal Opportunity and Human Rights
Commission > see Victorian Equal
Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
(VEOHRC) on page 41 for contact details
Pets
The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 does
not make any mention of pets.
However, it may be possible to have
a clause in a tenancy agreement that
bans pets.
If you have a pet or intend to get one, you
should let your landlord know as it may
be in breach of the terms of your tenancy
agreement.
If you keep a pet that has been causing
damage or nuisance, or interfering with
the reasonable peace and comfort of
neighbours, you can be issued with a
‘Breach of Duty’ notice by the landlord.
If your pet has been found to be
endangering the safety of neighbours,
you may be given an immediate
‘Notice to Vacate’ by the landlord.

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