.svg)
For standard rental properties (not holiday or rooming rentals).
In Victoria, you can increase the rent once every 12 months. You must give written notice using the official form. Right now it is 60 days’ notice, but from November 2025 it will be 90 days. If the notice is not valid, the tenant does not need to pay the increase.
👉 Use our free Rent Increase Calculator to check the exact date you can next increase the rent for your property.
These steps explain how to serve a rent increase in Victoria. This is about the legal process of giving notice, not how to decide on the rent increase amount.
If you’re not sure how to follow these steps my advice is to firstly check out the free rent increase calculator.
If you are still concerned about these legal trip hazards, Cubbi’s Assisted Management platform guides you through these steps. In fact, you do not even need to know any of the above. Cubbi suggests a rent increase amount based on comparable properties. You confirm the rent increase amount, sign the notice and everything else is handled in the background. Check it out here and save 70% on agent fees.
If you are currently with an agent but still reading this, chances are you are not fully confident they are doing it right. You could use Cubbi’s Assisted Management option, but that does mean being the main contact for the tenant and doing inspections yourself. If you would prefer it all done for you reliably and without surprises, join the waitlist for Cubbi’s Full Management.
You can increase rent once every 12 months. If an agent manages the property they must follow the same rules. All rules are the same regardless of whether it is managed by an agent or self-managed by the owner.
60 days’ notice in writing now. From November 2025 you must give 90 days. Agents must apply the same rule. Use the calculator to set the date.
Just the notice period you have to give the renter to increase the rent, nothing else that we know of at this stage (Sep 25). See Premier of Victoria release from March 25.
Yes, but only if it’s specified in the lease, like a fixed dollar amount of the method for calculating it like the CPI. Be careful, you can’t just say ‘Based on the rental market valuation’ you have to be very specific.
Rule of thumb:
👉 The lease has to say exactly how the rent will go up, either a set amount or a clear formula the tenant can follow. When the time comes to increase the rent, the increase amount must not be more than was specified in the lease.
No. The 12 month rule applies not even if the tenant agrees to it. Since 2019 you have not been able to increase the rent after 6 months.
Yes, and you should if the market allows for it. Yearly rent increases should be part of the process by default, not surprises.
Yes but the normal rules apply. It has to be atleast 12 months since the last increase and you have to serve the official notice allowing for 60 days notice, 90 days from November 2025. Use the calculator to find out when you can next increase the rent.
The process is the same, just follow the Step by step process for a legal rent increase above. Just skip step 4.
Most fixed term leases go for 12 months, and this matches the 12 month rule for rent increases. It is normal to increase the rent when you renew the lease. The two can be done at the same time, but they are still separate processes.
At Cubbi we always issue the rent increase notice first. Then we do the lease renewal. This way the increase can be written into the new lease as an extra term if it starts after the new lease begins.
There is no cap on rent increases in Victoria, however the amount must not be excessive compared with the market. In your official notice you need to show how you worked it out. A good way is to give at least two specific examples of similar rental properties, not just say “two bedroom units in Richmond.”
A renter can challenge your increase if they believe it is excessive in relation to the market. If VCAT finds the increase excessive, the notice will be invalid and the renter does not need to pay the increased rent.
👉 Pro tip: Use Corelogic Rpdata to compile 2-3 carefully selected comparable rentals leased in the last 6 months. I like to provide this an an annexe to the rent increase notice as a simple one pager.
For example:
No. The tenant does not need to agree. A valid notice is enough for the increase to take effect. However, renters can still challenge the increase through Consumer Affairs Victoria, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, and then VCAT if needed.
Think of it this way: a rent increase notice is something you give, while a lease agreement is something both parties must agree to.
👉 Pro tip: If I was worried the tenant might move out because of the increase, I would call them before sending the notice. You might say something like:
“Just letting you know the rent will be increasing to $750 per week in line with market values… but it will not take effect for 60 days.” Then pause.
Stop and let them speak first. If they do not get upset, you are fine. Notice how it is not worded as an agreement, just as a courtesy.
Not really. A tenant can try to negotiate with you. But if you do not agree and the rent increase notice was valid and the amount is not too high for the market, the increase goes ahead.
You have to use the official Notice of proposed rent increase form. The safest way is to download the form directly from Consumer Affairs Victoria (scroll down to the bottom). You can create your own version, but it must match the prescribed form (Form 5 in the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021) word for word. Even small changes can make the notice invalid.
You can serve the notice:
You must allow at least 60 full days (90 days from November 2025). Do not count the day you give the notice or the day the rent increase starts.
For example, if you email the notice to the renter today, day 1 is tomorrow. The rent can go up on day 61.
👉 Pro tip: If you send the notice by post, you must add 5 extra business days to the notice period.
Yes. You must still serve the official notice. If you do not, the renter does not have to pay the increase. Think of the lease as setting the maximum increase you are allowed to charge during the fixed term. You can only increase up to what is written in the lease, and you still need to give the official notice each time.
Even if the lease allows an increase, the law says it must not be excessive compared with the market. A renter can challenge an increase if they believe it is excessive, even when it follows the lease.
The notice will be invalid and you will have to start again. If the renter has already paid the higher rent, it’s highly likely if challenged, you will need to refund the increased rent paid.
Always double check your dates with the Rent Increase Calculator to make sure you get it right the first time.
No you can’t increase the bond for a rent increase unless you signed a 5 year lease and you’re renewing it for another 5 years or more.
Rent increases are one of those areas where the rules are strict and the details matter. Get them wrong and the increase is invalid. Get them right and you protect your income while keeping good tenants on side.
If you have lost trust in agents and prefer the speed and cost savings of managing things yourself, Cubbi’s Assisted Management makes it super simple. Cubbi suggests a rent increase amount based on comparable properties. You just confirm the figure, sign the notice, and the platform takes care of everything else in the background.
If you prefer a hands free approach, join the waitlist for Cubbi’s Full Management. Every step is done for you reliably and with full transparency, so you never have to worry whether an increase has been handled the right way.
Rent increases during a fixed term lease in Victoria are only valid if the lease clearly sets out how they will be calculated and if the official notice is served correctly. This guide explains the rules, the best methods to use (percentage vs rent index), how to write the clause into the lease.
Michael Gilbert
For homeownersIn Victoria you can only increase rent once every 12 months, giving 60 days notice (90 days from November 2025) and you must use the official form. This guide explains the rules, common mistakes, and the step-by-step process for serving a valid rent increase in Victoria.
Michael Gilbert
For homeowners
.svg)