Election campaigns are a challenge to the government of the day. In the case of renter protections, the public should be comforted that Victorian protections for renters are amongst the strongest in Australia. While rental protections can’t prevent the inequities in the housing market, they ensure minimum standards and a fairer rental market. See my previous post about strengthening the rental market.
Summarised by Copilot, prompted by me.
National Cabinet “A Better Deal for Renters”
Agreed Core Benchmarks
National Cabinet agreed that all states and territories would work toward three minimum outcomes:
- Genuine reasonable grounds for eviction
(i.e. abolition of no‑grounds evictions) - Limiting rent increases to no more than once per year
- Phasing‑in minimum quality standards for rental homes
These are confirmed in Treasury guidance and National Cabinet documentation. [treasury.gov.au], [tenants.org.au]
Jurisdiction‑by‑Jurisdiction Assessment (2026)
✅ ACT — Exceeds Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ✅ Fully met |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ✅ Fully met |
| Minimum standards | ✅ Fully phased |
Additional strength:
The ACT is the only jurisdiction with a CPI‑anchored rent cap, limiting increases to CPI + 10% unless the tribunal approves higher amounts. [reiv.com.au]
Assessment:
ACT doesn’t just meet the Better Deal; it goes materially further than National Cabinet contemplated.
✅ Victoria — Exceeds Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ✅ Fully met (25 Nov 2025) |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ✅ Fully met |
| Minimum standards | ✅ Mandatory pre‑advertising |
Victoria delivers all three benchmarks, with stronger procedural safeguards (90‑day rent increase notice, pre‑advertising standards) than required. [legislatio…vic.gov.au], [tenants.org.au]
Assessment:
Victoria is consistently assessed as benchmark‑leading alongside the ACT.
✅ NSW — Meets Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ✅ Fully met (May 2025) |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ✅ Fully met |
| Minimum standards | ⚠️ Partial/less prescriptive |
NSW meets the formal commitments, though minimum standards are less operationalised than VIC/ACT. [mphlawyers.com.au], [ahuri.edu.au]
Assessment:
Compliant, but at the minimum acceptable floor, not best‑practice.
⚠️ South Australia — Meets in Principle, Weaker in Practice
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ✅ Formally |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ✅ Met |
| Minimum standards | ✅ Introduced |
Material gap:
SA permits termination once a landlord enters a sales agency agreement (not an actual sale), creating a functional workaround to eviction protections. [legislatio…act.gov.au], [ahuri.edu.au]
Assessment:
Technically compliant, but does not deliver equivalent security to VIC/ACT.
⚠️ Queensland — Partially Meets Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ❌ No (still allowed at end of fixed term) |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ✅ Exceeded (property‑based limit) |
| Minimum standards | ✅ Fully phased |
Queensland exceeds expectations on rent control (property‑based 12‑month rule), but fails the eviction benchmark due to continued end‑of‑term no‑grounds exits. [amkarreale…ate.com.au], [help.reale…ate.com.au]
Assessment:
Strong on pricing stability; weak on tenancy security.
❌ Western Australia — Fails Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ❌ No |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ❌ No (6‑monthly allowed) |
| Minimum standards | ⚠️ Partial |
WA explicitly allows rent increases every 6 months on periodic leases, directly contravening the National Cabinet commitment. [landlordwise.com.au], [tenantsvic.org.au]
Assessment:
WA is non‑compliant with the Better Deal baseline.
❌ Tasmania — Fails Key Benchmark
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ❌ No |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ✅ Met |
| Minimum standards | ⚠️ Partial |
Tasmania has acceptable rent rules but has not removed no‑grounds evictions, which National Cabinet identified as foundational to renter security. [tenants.org.au], [ahuri.edu.au]
Assessment:
Fails the most important benchmark.
❌ Northern Territory — Significantly Non‑Compliant
| Benchmark | Status |
|---|---|
| No‑grounds evictions abolished | ❌ No |
| Rent increases ≤ once per year | ❌ No (6‑monthly permitted) |
| Minimum standards | ❌ None statewide |
The NT remains the clearest outlier, missing all three core commitments, as documented by AHURI and NARO analyses. [gcrent.com.au], [tenants.org.au]
Overall Compliance Summary
✅ Fully Compliant or Better
- ACT
- Victoria
- NSW
⚠️ Partial / Qualified Compliance
- South Australia
- Queensland
❌ Non‑Compliant
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
This mirrors the findings of AHURI, National Shelter and NARO performance reports. [ahuri.edu.au], [tenants.org.au]
Key Policy Insight
Despite a national agreement, renter protections in Australia now form three regulatory tiers:
- ACT / VIC — exceed the National Cabinet deal
- NSW / SA / QLD — meet it in form, not strength
- WA / TAS / NT — fail to meet minimum commitments
This divergence is exactly what National Cabinet intended to eliminate — and it remains unresolved.
How Victoria Compares Nationally (Big Picture)
Bottom line:
Victoria sits in the top tier nationally for renter protections and regulatory standards. Only the ACT matches or exceeds Victoria overall. All other jurisdictions fall short on at least one material dimension.
1. Positioning Victoria Relative to Other States
National Tiering (Renter Protection Strength)
Tier 1 – Strongest overall
- ACT (strongest rent controls nationally)
- Victoria
Tier 2 – Meets national minimums, weaker execution
- NSW
- South Australia
- Queensland
Tier 3 – Below national standards
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
Victoria is consistently ranked alongside the ACT by AHURI, National Shelter and NARO as exceeding National Cabinet’s “Better Deal for Renters” commitments. [integragroup.com.au], [wodongafn.com.au]
2. Rent Regulation – Where Victoria Is Strong
Victoria
- Rent increases limited to once every 12 months
- 90‑day notice period (longest in Australia)
- Strong tribunal oversight of excessive increases
- Rental bidding banned
- Fees for applications and payments banned
National comparison
| Jurisdiction | Material difference |
|---|---|
| ACT | Stronger – rent capped to CPI + margin |
| NSW | Same frequency, shorter notice (60 days) |
| SA | Same frequency, weaker enforcement |
| QLD | Same frequency, but no excessive‑rent framework |
| WA | Allows 6‑monthly increases |
| TAS | Once yearly, weak review mechanisms |
| NT | 6‑monthly increases, minimal scrutiny |
Assessment:
Victoria is second only to the ACT on rent regulation. It is materially stronger than NSW/SA/QLD and far stronger than WA/TAS/NT.
3. Eviction Protections – Victoria Is Among the Best
Victoria
- All no‑grounds evictions abolished (from Nov 2025)
- Evidence required for termination
- Longer notice periods (often 90 days)
- Strong anti‑retaliation protections
National comparison
| Jurisdiction | No‑grounds evictions |
|---|---|
| ACT | Abolished |
| Victoria | Abolished |
| NSW | Abolished |
| SA | Abolished, but loopholes remain |
| QLD | Still allowed at end of fixed term |
| TAS | Still allowed |
| WA | Still allowed |
| NT | Still allowed |
Assessment:
Victoria is in the top national group for security of tenure; most states are not.
4. Minimum Housing Standards – Victoria Sets the Bar
Victoria
- Mandatory minimum standards before a property can be advertised
- Covers safety, heating, ventilation, locks, smoke alarms, blinds, etc.
- Annual smoke alarm checks mandated
National comparison
| Jurisdiction | Standards strength |
|---|---|
| ACT | Strong |
| Victoria | Strongest operationalised system |
| QLD | Strong, but enforcement lighter |
| SA | Moderate |
| NSW | Patchy / under‑specified |
| WA | Partial |
| TAS | Partial |
| NT | Largely absent |
Assessment:
Victoria is widely cited as best practice for enforceable minimum standards. [wodongafn.com.au], [integragroup.com.au]
5. Applications, Fees, Privacy & Process
Victoria performs strongly on:
- Mandatory standard forms
- Prohibition on unnecessary personal data
- Ban on rent‑tech and payment fees
- Formal early‑resolution system (RDRV)
Only NSW and ACT come close on these process protections. Other jurisdictions lag meaningfully.
6. Alignment With National Cabinet “Better Deal for Renters”
Victoria:
- ✅ Removed no‑grounds evictions
- ✅ Limited rent increases to once per year
- ✅ Phased‑in enforceable minimum standards
Many jurisdictions formally signed up but failed to deliver equivalent outcomes, a point repeatedly raised in national performance reports. [integragroup.com.au], [aussierentlaws.com]
Overall Verdict
Where Victoria Stands Nationally
✅ Top‑tier renter protections
✅ Stronger than every state except the ACT
✅ Exceeds National Cabinet benchmarks
✅ Lowest regulatory risk for renters
✅ Highest compliance burden for landlords
Victoria is not an outlier by accident — it is the most comprehensive implementation of the national reform agenda.
One‑line summary
If you had to describe Australia as a patchwork of rental regimes, Victoria sits at the high‑protection end — closer to European‑style regulation than to the landlord‑heavy systems still operating in WA, Tasmania and the NT.
Mel Yuan for Brunswick 
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