Victoria’s New Rental Application Rules (From 31 March 2026): What This Means for Rental Providers

From 31 March 2026, Victoria introduces a mandatory standard rental application form and strict new limits on the information rental providers and agents can request from prospective renters. These reforms are part of the state’s broader rental law changes aimed at fairness, transparency, and privacy in the rental market.

For rental providers, this means the way applications are collected and assessed will change, even though the key decision-making criteria remain the same.

Here is the link to the standardised application from, click here.

Why This Matters for You

Under the updated rules, you must not ask for, require, or consider any information about an applicant that is not included in the prescribed standard form.

Rental providers and their agents are only permitted to collect information necessary to assess:

• Identity

• Capacity to pay the advertised rent

• Rental history and references

Anything outside of the prescribed form is now off-limits at the application stage.

Personal Information Is More Restricted

Agents can no longer ask for certain personal details that were commonly used in screening.

Dependants

The standardised form asks the renter to confirm the number of occupants, which includes children. Agents can no longer request information about an applicant’s dependents.

This includes:

• Whether the applicant has children

• The number of dependents

• The ages of any occupants

Pets

Agents also cannot ask about pets upfront or use pets as part of the initial screening process.

Instead, pets must be addressed after approval through the formal pet request process, if applicable.

Vehicles

Agents cannot request:

• The number of vehicles

• Parking intentions

• Vehicle details

These are not required to assess rental suitability and are excluded from the prescribed form.

Employment Verification

One of the biggest shifts is how employment is verified.

Agents can no longer request or require direct employer contact as part of the application process.

Instead, income and employment are primarily assessed using documents such as:

• Pay slips

• Employment contracts

• Bank statements

If an applicant chooses to include their employer as one of their references, then contact can be made. However, this is entirely at the applicant’s discretion.

Other Reference Checks

Reference checks are still part of the process, but they are now more structured.

Agents can:

• Contact the current or previous rental provider or agent

• Contact up to two additional references provided by the applicant

 These additional references may be:

• Personal

• Professional

• Or a combination of both

Agents cannot go beyond the references supplied or conduct informal background checks.

No Additional Questions or Side Processes

All information must now come directly from the standard application form.

Agents can no longer:

• Send follow-up questionnaires

• Request extra documents outside the form

• Ask additional screening questions via phone or email

• Use platform-generated data that is not part of the form

This creates a more structured and consistent process across all applications.

What We Can Still Assess for You

While the process has changed, the fundamentals of assessing a renter have not.

We still assess and verify:

• Identity

• Financial capacity to pay rent

• Rental history

• References provided by the applicant

The key difference is that the way this information is collected is now tightly regulated.

What This Means When Your Property Comes to Market

When your property is listed for lease, you may notice:

• Application summaries look more standardised

• There is less variation in the information provided upfront

• Some details you may have previously seen are no longer included

• Reference types may vary depending on what the applicant chooses to provide

This is expected under the new legislation and does not mean less due diligence is being done. It simply means the process must follow a compliant structure.

How LongView Manages This for You

These changes require more than just awareness. They require well-designed processes to ensure compliance while still securing strong renters.

At LongView, we have adapted our leasing approach to align with the 2026 reforms while maintaining a high standard of applicant assessment.

We:

• Use fully compliant application processes

• Assess applications using structured and consistent criteria

• Verify income and rental history using approved methods

• Work within the new framework to identify suitable renters

• Continuously update our processes as legislation evolves

Final Word

The 2026 reforms change how information is collected, not the importance of selecting the right renter.

Our role is to navigate these changes for you, ensuring that the management of your investment remains compliant, protected, and performing without adding complexity to your experience.

If you have any questions about how this will impact your property, our team is here to help.