Victorian rental compliance glossary

Residential rental provider

The current Victorian term for a landlord. The person who lets a residential property to a renter.

Renter

The current Victorian term for a tenant. The person who rents a residential property to live in.

Residential rental agreement

The current Victorian term for a residential lease, the agreement between a rental provider and a renter.

Minimum standards

The 15 categories a rental property must meet before it is advertised, prescribed in Schedule 4 of the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021.

Gas safety check

A safety check of a property’s gas installation and appliances, required at least every two years and carried out by a licensed or registered gasfitter.

Electrical safety check

A safety check of all wiring, fittings and switchboards, required at least every two years and carried out by a licensed electrician (a Registered Electrical Contractor with Energy Safe Victoria).

Smoke alarm servicing

The annual testing and cleaning of every smoke alarm in a rental, with batteries replaced as needed. A faulty alarm is an urgent repair.

Compliance record

The dated evidence that a property met its safety checks and minimum standards. From 13 October 2026 rental providers must keep records proving the minimum standards were met at advertising.

Penalty unit

The unit used to set the maximum for many Victorian offences. Its dollar value changes each 1 July; for the year from 1 July 2026 it is $209.10, so 60 units is $12,546.

Section 65B

The offence of advertising or offering premises to let that do not comply with the rental minimum standards. The maximum is 60 penalty units for an individual and 300 for a company.

Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)

The Victorian Government body that administers residential tenancy law and publishes the official guidance on renting.

Residential Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV)

The Victorian service that helps rental providers and renters resolve rental disputes.

Condition report

A record of the state of a property, room by room, made at the start of a tenancy and used as the reference point at the end.

Urgent repair

A repair a rental provider must address immediately, such as a faulty smoke alarm or a gas leak. If unreachable, a renter may arrange one up to $2,500 and be repaid within seven days of a written request.

Purple tickProduct term

A Senly Rent product term (not a legal term): the mark a property earns when its safety checks and all 15 minimum standards are current and evidenced. It greys out when anything lapses.

This page is general information about Victorian rental law, not legal advice. Penalty amounts change each 1 July. Confirm your obligations, the dates and the current figures with Consumer Affairs Victoria or your own adviser.