Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Ministers statements: rental reform

Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Government Services, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Public and Active Transport) (14:33): I rise to update the house on the work the Allan Labor government is doing to support Victorian renters. We know that more Victorians are renting than ever before. While we have the strongest rental protections in the country here in Victoria, we know that there is always more that we could be doing to protect renters rights. That is why last month I joined the member for Albert Park to announce a new renting taskforce to crack down on dodgy rentals and to send a clear message to landlords and agents who might be doing the wrong thing.

We have already delivered over 130 reforms to protect and strengthen renters rights, and we have more on the way. This taskforce will back in those protections that we have already introduced with more intelligence analysts, inspectors, investigators and lawyers who are focused on detecting offences like false advertising, like failing to lodge bonds and, really importantly, like not meeting our minimum rental standards. The taskforce will make sure that all Victorian renters have a safe, secure and comfortable place to call home. The taskforce will be embedded within Consumer Affairs Victoria and will be modelled on our successful underquoting taskforce, which has already collected over $1.2 million in fines and has in one case also initiated criminal proceedings. We know that most agents and landlords are doing the right thing, but we also know how important it is to send a clear message to the few who do not that their poor conduct will not be tolerated.

On this side of the house we are committed to supporting renters, and we have a very strong record in doing just that. We are continuing to work for Victorians every day, whether that be through building more homes – and many of my colleagues on the front bench here are focused on that, backed in by a backbench who tell us every day just how important that is – or by making things fairer for renters.