Following the Premiers announcement earlier in the week extending the State of Emergency in Victoria, the State Government has also moved to extend eviction moratorium laws. Please see the press release from Consumer Affairs Victoria below.
Victorian eviction moratorium extended to 31 December 2020
The Victorian Government is extending eviction moratorium laws to provide greater certainty for tenants and landlords.
Extension of these laws will ensure that Victorian renters facing hardship due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will not be evicted from their homes (with limited exceptions) or have their rent increased until 31 December 2020.
In addition to the eviction moratorium extension, further support being introduced for residential and commercial tenants and landlords includes:
- changes to the land tax relief scheme and an increase of land tax discount from the current 25 per cent to 50 per cent for residential landlords who provide a 50 per cent rent reduction to eligible tenants
- extension of the Rent Relief Grant program to 31 December 2020, increasing the maximum grant amount to $3,000 for new applications, and allowing previous recipients to receive up to an additional $1,000
- extension of the Residential Tenancies Dispute Resolution Scheme until 31 December 2020.
Residential tenants and landlords who are finding it difficult to strike a deal over rent reductions have access to the free dispute resolution service run by Consumer Affairs Victoria for residential tenancies, which has provided advice and dispute resolution services more than 80,000 times since it was launched in April 2020.
We encourage you to ensure your networks are aware of the Residential Tenancies Dispute Resolution Scheme that is available to all Victorians and encourage landlords and tenants to revisit their previous agreements, if any, in light of the new arrangements.
We thank you for working constructively with your tenants and with us during this unprecedented challenge.
Residential tenants and landlords who need help to reach an agreement or extend their existing arrangements, should contact Consumer Affairs Victoria.
For more information, visit renting rules and support during the moratorium on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.