With almost 620,000 Victorian households living in rentals, a new report released today gives valuable insight into the market in Victoria – showing who is renting, where they’re renting, and what kinds of issues they’re facing.

Minister for Consumer Affairs Melissa Horne welcomed the Commissioner for Residential Tenancies’ inaugural report, Renting in Victoria: Snapshot 2020, and reaffirmed the government’s support for tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Victorian Government has introduced a range of temporary rental law reforms to support people during the pandemic, including a moratorium on evictions and ban on rental increases.

This week, Consumer Affairs Victoria started contacting almost 700,000 tenants via emails and text messages to ensure they are aware of their rental rights and the supports available during the pandemic.

Consumer Affairs Victoria hopes to make contact with as many tenants as possible over the coming weeks. The new rental protections are in place until 28 March 2021.

The Renting in Victoria: Snapshot 2020 brings together a range of data from various sources for the first time in one easy-to-read report. It provides insights from the most recent Australian census in 2016, as well as government agencies and renting stakeholders

This collation of data will progress and build knowledge of Victoria’s rental sector and may help lead to improved outcomes for Victorian tenants.

The report includes insights spanning the past few years and gives a base to measure the effect of coronavirus on the sector.

Future editions of the report will also allow for year-on-year comparisons of data on the state’s renting landscape.

To view the report, visit: www.rentingcommissioner.vic.gov.au/rentingsnapshot2020