Statement of Information for Rental Applicants
Residential Tenancies Act 1997 Section 29C
Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 Regulation 14
A rental provider must include the information below in a residential rental agreement application form.
Information for rental applicants
- Discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavourably because of a personal attribute. Discrimination is also imposing an unreasonable requirement, condition or practice that disadvantages persons with a personal attribute.
- In Victoria it is unlawful to discriminate against someone in relation to certain personal attributes. This means that residential rental providers (rental providers) and real estate agents cannot refuse you accommodation or discriminate against you during your tenancy on the basis of personal attributes protected by law. The following is a list of some protected attributes that are sometimes discriminated against in the rental market—
• age;
• disability (including physical, sensory, intellectual disability and mental illness);
• employment activity;
• expunged homosexual conviction;
• gender identity;
• industrial activity (including union activity);
• marital status;
• parental status or status as a carer;
• physical features;
• political belief or activity;
• pregnancy or breastfeeding;
• race;
• religious belief or activity;
• lawful sexual activity or sexual orientation;
• sex or intersex status;
• association with someone who has these personal attributes. - These personal attributes are protected by law and extend to agreements under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (the Act). It is against the law for a rental provider or their agent to treat you unfavourably or discriminate against you because of these personal attributes when you are applying for a rental property, occupying a rental property or leaving a rental property.
- Discrimination on the basis of any of these personal attributes may contravene Victorian laws including the Act, the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (the Equal Opportunity Act), and a range of Commonwealth Acts including the Age Discrimination Act 2004, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
- In some limited circumstances, discrimination may not be unlawful, including accommodation provided for children, shared family accommodation, and student accommodation. For example, a community housing provider who is funded to provide youth housing may positively discriminate to provide accommodation for a young person. For more information, contact the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC).
- Scenarios and examples of unlawful discrimination in applying for a property
• Refusing or not accepting your application because you have children, unless the premises is unsuitable for occupation by children due to its design or location.
• Processing your application differently to other applicants and not giving your application to the rental provider because you have a disability or because of your race.
• Offering you the property on different terms by requiring more bond or requiring you to have a guarantor because of your age.
• Refusing to provide accommodation because you have an assistance dog. - Scenarios and examples of unlawful discrimination when occupying or leaving a property
• Refusing to agree to you assigning your lease to someone else because of that person’s personal attributes.
• Refusing to allow you to make reasonable alterations or modifications to the property to meet your needs if you have a disability.
• Extending or renewing your agreement on less favourable terms than your original agreement based on your protected attributes (e.g. due to a disability).
• Issuing you with a notice to vacate based on your protected attributes.
The examples listed and similar actions could contravene the Act, the Equal Opportunity Act, or the Commonwealth Acts.
Getting help
- If a rental provider or a real estate agent has unlawfully discriminated against you and you have suffered loss as a result, you may apply to VCAT for an order for compensation under section 210AA of the Act. VCAT may be contacted online at vcat.vic.gov.au/ or by calling 1300 018 228.
- If you would like advice about unlawful discrimination in relation to an application to rent or an existing agreement you may call Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387.
- If you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against when applying to rent, or once you have occupied a property, you or someone on your behalf may make a complaint to VEOHRC at humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/ or by calling 1300 292 153.
For further information visit the renting section of the Consumer Affairs Victoria website at www.consumer.vic.gov.au/renting or call 1300 55 81 81.
Help or further information
For further information, visit the Renting section – Consumer Affairs Victoria website at www.consumer.vic.gov.au/renting or call Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81.
Telephone interpreter service
If you have difficulty understanding English, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 (for the cost of a local call) and ask to be put through to an Information Officer at Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81.
Arabic
إذا كان لديك صعوبة في فهم اللغة الإنكليزية، اتصل بخدمة الترجمة التحريرية والشفوية (TIS) على الرقم 450 131 (بكلفة مكالمة محلية) واطلب أن يوصلوك بموظف معلومات في دائرة شؤون المستهلك في فكتوريا على الرقم 81 81 55 1300.
Turkish İngilize anlamakta güçlük çekiyorsanız, 131 450’den (şehir içi konuşma ücretine) Yazılı ve Sözlü Tercümanlık Servisini (TIS) arayarak 1300 55 81 81 numerali telefondan Victoria Tüketici İşleri’ni aramalarını ve size bir Danişma Memuru ile görüştürmelerini isteyiniz.
Vietnamese Nếu quí vị không hiểu tiếng Anh, xin liên lạc với Dịch Vụ Thông Phiên Dịch (TIS) qua số 131 450 (với giá biểu của cú gọi địa phương) và yêu cầu được nối đường dây tới một Nhân Viên Thông Tin tại Bộ Tiêu Thụ Sự Vụ Victoria (Consumer Affairs Victoria) qua số 1300 55 81 81.
Somali Haddii aad dhibaato ku qabto fahmida Ingiriiska, La xiriir Adeega Tarjumida iyo Afcelinta (TIS) telefoonka 131 450 (qiimaha meesha aad joogto) weydiisuna in lagugu xiro Sarkaalka Macluumaadka ee Arrimaha Macmiilaha
Fiktooriya tel: 1300 55 81 81.
Chinese 如果您聽不大懂英語，請打電話給口譯和筆譯服務處，電話：131 450（衹花費一個普通電話費），讓他們幫您接通維多利亞消費者事務處（Consumer Affairs Victoria）的信息官員，電話：1300 55 81 81。
Serbian Ако вам је тешко да разумете енглески, назовите Службу преводилаца и тумача (Translating and Interpreting Service – TIS) на 131 450 (по цену локалног позива) и замолите их да вас повежу са Службеником за информације (Information Officer) у Викторијској Служби за потрошачка питања (Consumer Affairs Victoria) на 1300 55 81 81.
Amharic በእንግሊዝኛ ቋንቋ ለመረዳት ችግር ካለብዎ የአስተርጓሚ አገልግሎትን (TIS) በስልክ ቁጥር 131 450 (በአካባቢ ስልክ ጥሪ ሂሳብ) በመደወል ለቪክቶሪያ ደንበኞች ጉዳይ ቢሮ በስልክ ቁጥር 1300 55 81 81 ደውሎ ከመረጃ አቅራቢ ሠራተኛ ጋር እንዲያገናኝዎት መጠየቅ።
Dari
اگر شما مشکل دانستن زبان انگلیسی دارید، با اداره خدمات ترجمانی تحریری و شفاهی (TIS)به شماره 450 131 به قیمت مخابره محلی تماس بگیرید و بخواهید که شما را به کارمند معلومات دفتر امور مهاجرین ویکتوریا به شماره 1300 55 81 81 ارتباط دهد.
Croatian Ako nerazumijete dovoljno engleski, nazovite Službu tumača i prevoditelja (TIS) na 131 450 (po cijeni mjesnog poziva) i zamolite da vas spoje s djelatnikom za obavijesti u Consumer Affairs Victoria na 1300 55 81 81.
Greek Αν έχετε δυσκολίες στην κατανόηση της αγγλικής γλώσσας, επικοινωνήστε με την Υπηρεσία Μετάφρασης και Διερμηνείας (ΤΙS) στο 131 450 (με το κόστος μιας τοπικής κλήσης) και ζητήστε να σας συνδέσουν με έναν Υπάλληλο Πληροφοριών στην Υπηρεσία Προστασίας Καταναλωτών Βικτώριας (Consumer Affairs Victoria) στον αριθμό 1300 55 81 81.
Italian Se avete difficoltà a comprendere l’inglese, contattate il servizio interpreti e traduttori, cioè il Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) al 131 450 (per il costo di una chiamata locale), e chiedete di essee messi in comunicazione con un operatore addetto alle informazioni del dipartimento “Consumer Affairs Victoria” al numero 1300 55 81 81.
Please note, YWCA Community Housing is not crisis accommodation or supported housing. We cannot provide immediate housing or case management. If crisis accommodation is required, please refer to Crisis Accommodation Providers.
Submission of this Intake Form and any subsequent Phone Assessment or Property viewings are not an offer for housing. YWCA Housing does not keep a waitlist, we only consider intake applications based on current vacancies. If an application for housing is successful, you will be required to provide 2 weeks’ rent in advance and bond. Rent amount is based on an applicant’s income and is supplied after a Phone Assessment has been completed. Please be prepared to provide us funds within 48 hours of an offer at a vacant property.
On receipt of a completed application, we will email from [email protected] to request the following documents if not recieved:
- Consent to Share form completed and signed, with sharing specified for agencies permitted to share.
- ID Documents including Photo ID, totalling 100 points
- Centrelink Income Statement (most recent) and/or 13 week’s payslips as applicable
- Supplementary referral documents from external support agencies (support letter, etc.) – Optional but highly regarded
- Guarantee of payment on successful application of 2 week’s Rent in Advance. Bond may be funded by a DFFH Bond Loan where eligible.
