‘Weighted towards the tenant’: Peak real estate body concerned about new rental laws

In the year since rental laws changed to make it easier for tenants to keep pets, landlords have gone to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal 340 times to seek to deny tenants’ requests.

Of those, just one has been decided in favour of the landlord.

President of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, Leah Calnan, says the rules are off balance.

“Absolutely, there were many that needed to change … but the balance of legislation seems to be all weighted towards the tenant rather than to the landlord,” she told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

Another 132 rental law changes will come into force on March 29.

Under the new restrictions, tenants will be able to make small changes without permission from their landlord, such as installing picture hooks and shelves.

Minimum standards will be upgraded to include a working stove, a sink in the kitchen and a three-star shower head.

But Ms Calnan says VCAT will struggle to cope.

“VCAT, we know they’re at capacity. They’re still months behind because of COVID,” she said.

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