Only 1 in 1000 Victorian rentals inspected for basic safety standards
Victoria inspects only one in every 1000 rental properties for minimum safety standards despite almost one in three households renting.
Victoria has more than 650,000 rental properties, yet a rental taskforce completed only some 600 inspections over two years. The 15 minimum standards cover functioning shower heads, secure window latches, working stoves, flushing toilets, and mould-free walls.
A Tenants Victoria report found nearly 80 per cent of renters had at least one problem with their home. Only two per cent took complaints to tribunal.
Tenants cite fear of losing their home as a reason to stay silent. The group is calling for a mandatory registration scheme where landlords must lodge evidence their property meets safety standards.
This would help regulators identify problem homes and target inspections where they are needed most.
- 650,000
- Rental properties
- 600 over two years
- Inspections completed
- 80 per cent
- Renters with problems
- 2 per cent
- Complaints to tribunal
Why it mattersMost renters live in homes that may not meet basic safety standards, but have little chance an inspector will check or enforce it.
AustraliaAbout one in three Victorian households rent, meaning hundreds of thousands of Victorians may be living in unsafe conditions with almost no oversight.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
