Rental minimum standards in Victoria: keep the records.
What changes on 13 October 2026? Rental providers (landlords) in Victoria must keep records sufficient to show the property met the rental minimum standards before the renter moved in. Rental providers and their agents must also keep records showing it met them when it was advertised or offered to let. The Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria can ask for the records, and not producing them carries up to 150 penalty units for an individual ($31,365 in 2026-27) or 750 for a company. The duty comes from the Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025, which adds sections 65C to 65F to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.
Records duty
From 13 October 2026, keep records that show the standards were met.
Produce on request
Up to 150 penalty units, or 750 for a company, for not producing them.
Checks every 2 years
Gas and electrical safety checks for all rental agreements.
Victoria only
Other states and territories set their own rental standards.
What the law says
The rental minimum standards apply to agreements that started on or after 29 March 2021, or became periodic on or after that date. Since 25 November 2025 a property must also meet them when it is advertised. From 13 October 2026 the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 adds a duty to keep the evidence, and to hand it over when the Director asks.
| Section | Duty | Who | Maximum penalty | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| s 65A | The property must meet the rental minimum standards on or before the day the renter moves in. | Rental provider | 60 penalty units (company 300) | In force |
| s 65B | Do not advertise or offer a property to let unless you reasonably believe, at that time, that it meets the minimum standards. | Rental provider or agent | 60 penalty units (company 300) | 25 November 2025 |
| s 65C | Keep records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with section 65A. | Rental provider | See 65D | 13 October 2026 |
| s 65D | Produce the section 65C records when the Director asks, as soon as practicable and in the manner the Director specifies. | Rental provider | 150 penalty units (company 750) | 13 October 2026 |
| s 65E | When advertising or offering a property to let, keep records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with section 65B. | Rental provider or agent | See 65F | 13 October 2026 |
| s 65F | Produce the section 65E records when the Director asks, as soon as practicable and in the manner the Director specifies. | Rental provider or agent | 150 penalty units (company 750) | 13 October 2026 |
A penalty unit is worth $209.10 from 1 July 2026, so 150 penalty units is $31,365 and 750 is $156,825. Sections 65D and 65F are also pecuniary penalty provisions: the Magistrates’ Court can order up to $60,000 for an individual or $300,000 for a company. Rooming house operators get a matching duty for the rooming house standards (sections 142BAA and 142BAB).
The 15 rental minimum standards, and the records that show them
The standards are in Schedule 4 to the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021. The middle column summarises each one; the right-hand column is a practical suggestion for the evidence to keep, not an official list.
| Standard | What it requires | Records to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Locks | External entry doors have a functioning deadlock, or a lock operated by a key from outside that opens from inside with or without a key. | Photo of each external door lock; locksmith invoice if replaced. |
| Vermin-proof bins | A rubbish bin and a recycling bin, from the council or vermin-proof and compatible with council collection. | Photo of both bins at the property. |
| Toilets | A toilet in good working order, connected to sewerage or an approved system, in a toilet area or bathroom. | Photo; note that it flushed and did not leak. |
| Bathroom | Washbasin and a shower or bath with hot and cold water. For agreements before 1 March 2027, a 3-star shower head (1 or 2 stars if a 3-star head cannot be fitted or will not work). | Photos of basin, shower or bath and shower head; product label or receipt for the rating. |
| Kitchen | A cooking and food preparation area, a working sink with hot and cold water, and a working cooktop with 2 or more burners. Any oven must work. | Photos; note that burners, oven and taps were tested. |
| Laundry | Any laundry is connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water. | Photo of the laundry taps; note that both ran. |
| Structural soundness | Structurally sound and weatherproof. | Photos of each elevation, the roof where visible and ceilings; repair invoices. |
| Mould and damp | Each room is free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure. | Wall and ceiling photos in every room, with close-ups of any marks and what was done about them. |
| Electrical safety | All power outlets and lighting circuits connected to a switchboard-type circuit breaker and a residual current device (safety switch). | Photo of the switchboard; the latest electrical safety check; electrician’s invoice for any upgrade. |
| Window coverings | Curtains or blinds in rooms likely to be bedrooms or living areas that reasonably block light and give privacy. | Photo of each covering closed. |
| Windows | External windows that open can be set open or closed and have a functioning latch against entry from outside. | Photo of each latch; note that each window was opened and latched. |
| Lighting | Rooms, corridors and hallways have light suited to their use; habitable rooms have natural light by day and artificial light at night. | Room photos; note that every light worked. |
| Ventilation | Each habitable room, bathroom, shower room, toilet and laundry is ventilated to the 2019 Building Code of Australia requirements for the building class. | Photos of openable windows and exhaust fans; note that fans ran. |
| Heating | A fixed heater in good working order in the main living area; energy efficient under the current rules unless an exception applies. | Photo of the heater and its rating label or model; evidence of any exception. |
| Corded window coverings | From 1 December 2025, loose cords cannot form a loop of 220 mm or longer below 1600 mm, secured by a cord guide or a cleat at least 1600 mm above the floor. | Photo of each cord guide or cleat, with its height if you can show it. |
Heritage-registered properties can be exempt from some standards (locks, kitchen, lighting) where a permit to alter them has been refused. Keep that refusal with the records.
A records checklist for property managers
1.Before the listing goes live
Inspect all 15 standards and take dated photos of each. Keep a copy of the advertisement with its date, so the records match the moment you offered the property (section 65E).
2.Fix, then photograph again
Anything that fails is repaired before advertising. Keep the invoice or certificate, and a dated photo of the finished work.
3.On or before move-in day
Check again that nothing has changed and complete the condition report, so you can show the standards were met when the renter moved in (section 65C).
4.Safety records
Keep the most recent gas and electrical safety check records, and check they are less than 2 years old at move-in. Keep the annual smoke alarm check.
5.Exceptions and upgrades
Where a standard allows an exception, such as heating in some apartments, keep the evidence. Keep proof of installation and appliance details for any energy upgrade.
6.File by property and letting
The Act does not set a retention period in sections 65C to 65F. Keep each property’s records together so you can produce them as soon as practicable when CAV asks.
How dated photos and reports work as records
The Act asks for records “sufficient to demonstrate compliance”, and lets the Director publish guidance on what that means in the Government Gazette and on the CAV website. Check for that guidance. Until you have it, a dated photo of each standard, a note of what you tested, and the trade certificates behind it give a clear answer to the question CAV will ask: did the property meet the standards on the day it was advertised, and on the day the renter moved in?
The date matters as much as the photo. An inspection report dated before the advertisement, and a condition report dated on or before move-in day, tie the evidence to the two moments the law cares about. The same photos help at the end of the tenancy: from 13 October 2026 a rental provider must give each renter bond claim evidence, which can be a photograph, at least 3 days before claiming the bond, and it must not conflict with the condition report.
Gas and electrical safety checks every 2 years
- All agreements from 13 October 2026: a licensed or registered electrician checks all electrical installations, appliances and fittings the rental provider supplies, and a licensed or registered gasfitter checks all gas installations and fittings where there are gas appliances, every 2 years.
- At move-in: if there has been no check in the last 2 years when the renter first occupies the property, arrange one as soon as practicable. Before the agreement, tell the renter the date of the last checks and any outstanding recommendations.
- Records: each record names the tradesperson and their licence or registration number, the date and the results. Keep it until the next check, and give the renter a copy within 7 days of a written request.
- Before draughtproofing: a licensed or registered gasfitter must carry out a pre-draughtproofing gas check within the 6 months before the work.
- Smoke alarms: annual checks have applied to all rental agreements since 25 November 2025.
Minimum energy efficiency standards from 1 March 2027
The Residential Tenancies Amendment (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) Regulations 2025 add six standards to Schedule 4. They start in phases, each with its own trigger, and exceptions apply, for example for centralised building systems, heritage refusals or owners corporation rules.
| Standard | When it applies | What is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | From 1 March 2027, when the existing fixed heater fails and cannot be repaired | Electric non-ducted air conditioner or heat pump, 2 stars or more for heating, or electric ducted heating with a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor of 3.2 or more |
| Cooling | Agreements entered into or created from 1 March 2027; all rentals from 1 July 2030 | Fixed cooler in the main living area: 3 stars or more for cooling, or ducted with a Total Cooling Seasonal Performance Factor of 3.8 or more |
| Hot water | From 1 March 2027, when the existing system fails and cannot be repaired | Heat pump or electric-boosted solar water heater |
| Shower heads | Agreements entered into or created from 1 March 2027 | 4-star rating, or 3-star where the plumbing cannot take a 4-star head |
| Ceiling insulation | Agreements entered into or created from 1 March 2027 | R5.0 or more where there is none, fitted within 30 days after an electrician’s pre-insulation safety checklist |
| Draughtproofing | Agreements entered into or created from 1 July 2027 | Seals on external doors and windows and unsealed wall vents; not where a flueless space heater or open-flued gas appliance is installed |
Consumer Affairs Victoria advises keeping proof of installation and appliance information for any upgrade, and proof that an exemption applies where the property does not otherwise meet a standard. Those papers become part of the same minimum standards records.
Where PropertySurvey Pro fits
- Room by room: record each standard in the room where it applies, with photos and a note of what you tested.
- Dated photos: each photo carries its EXIF-derived capture time, or the attachment time when EXIF is unavailable, and the time is printed in the PDF.
- A report per moment: one inspection before the listing and a condition report at move-in, each built as a PDF on your device before you leave. Inventories and condition reports.
- Offline: capture and PDF generation work without signal, then sync when you are back in range.
The app records evidence. It does not decide whether a property meets a standard, and it is not a substitute for the licensed gas and electrical checks.
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Frequently asked questions
When does the rental minimum standards records duty start in Victoria?
On 13 October 2026. The Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025 says any of its provisions not already in operation start on that day, and Consumer Affairs Victoria lists the records duty, the two-yearly gas and electrical checks and the stronger bond claim rules for 13 October 2026.
What records does a rental provider have to keep?
Records sufficient to show the property met the rental minimum standards on or before the day the renter moved in (section 65C of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997) and, for the provider or their agent, when it was advertised or offered to let (section 65E). The Act does not list document types. The Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria may publish guidance on what is sufficient in the Government Gazette and on the CAV website.
What is the penalty for not producing the records?
Failing to produce the records when the Director asks is an offence with a maximum of 150 penalty units for an individual and 750 for a company (sections 65D and 65F). At the 2026-27 value of $209.10 a unit, that is $31,365 and $156,825. The sections are also pecuniary penalty provisions, for which the Magistrates’ Court can order up to $60,000 for an individual or $300,000 for a company.
Do letting agents have to keep minimum standards records too?
Yes, for advertising. Where a rental provider or their agent advertises or offers a property to let, the provider or the agent must keep records sufficient to show they reasonably believed it met the minimum standards at that time, and produce them if the Director asks.
Do the two-yearly gas and electrical safety checks apply to older agreements?
Yes. From 13 October 2026 Consumer Affairs Victoria says the checks are needed every 2 years for all rental agreements, whether they started before, on or after that date. Before then, the duty applied to agreements entered into after 29 March 2021.
Does PropertySurvey Pro make a rental property compliant?
No. PropertySurvey Pro records what you inspect: dated photos, notes and a PDF report. The rental provider remains responsible for the property meeting the minimum standards, and licensed electricians and gasfitters carry out the safety checks. Consumer Affairs Victoria decides whether records are sufficient.