Meeting minimum standards - Rental Providers’ responsibilities.

What are the rental provider’s responsibilities?

Meeting minimum standards is the responsibility of rental providers, and failure to do so can result in penalties and consequences for not carrying out necessary repairs. In cases where a rental provider does not respond to a request for an urgent repair, the renter has the option to apply to VCAT for an order requiring the rental provider to carry out the repairs. Alternatively, if the repairs are less than $2500 and the renter can afford to pay for them, they can arrange for the repairs themselves, and the rental provider will have to reimburse the reasonable costs of repair.

What if a rental provider fails to do repairs?

If awaiting repairs, VCAT can redirect rent payments into a rent special account for a specified period. At the end of this period, if the repairs have been made, the rental provider can apply to have the rent in the account paid to them. If the repairs have not been made and the property still does not meet the minimum standards, the renter can apply to have some or all of the rent in the account paid to them. However, if the rental provider is experiencing financial hardship, VCAT will take this into account when deciding whether to redirect rent payments into a rent special account, and the rental provider must provide documented evidence of their hardship to VCAT.