Invest
Rent relief shots fired as stage 4 carries on
Victorian real estate agents are being advised to refuse to negotiate lower rental rates after the state’s six-month extension of the rental moratorium received backlash from a real estate body.
Rent relief shots fired as stage 4 carries on
Victorian real estate agents are being advised to refuse to negotiate lower rental rates after the state’s six-month extension of the rental moratorium received backlash from a real estate body.
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) has slammed the decision as providing landlords with “virtually no relief while tenants get substantial support”.
“While the vast majority of tenants do the right thing, the Real Estate Institute of Victoria is seeing increasing evidence that some tenants are rorting the system put in place to protect them.”
According to the advocacy organisation, “There is growing evidence that some tenants are using the government’s moratorium to set their own rules and take undue advantage of the measures. Even when the dispute is taken to VCAT, there is often no outcome for the landlord, with the tenant effectively living rent-free until the end of the moratorium.”
It reported that the longer such a moratorium continues, the more tenants that will take advantage of the “biased” system.
With many reduced rental agreements now due for renegotiation, the REIV reported that it is advising members to refuse to negotiate rent reductions and force every request into the dispute system.
“With a backlog of over 4,000 cases, VCAT is not equipped to resolve disputes,” it said.
REIV CEO Gil King said he has seen, and continues to see, “illegal rent strikes with no consequences”.
“Until balance and common sense is restored, we will embark on a moratorium-strike. Let’s see how the system copes without our cooperation,” he commented.
“This demagogue decision to extend the moratorium means that for a whole year, landlords will be dictated as to how much rent they can charge – removing their right to make fundamental decisions about their own property.”
According to the institute, the decision to extend the moratorium, and the continued ban against physical inspections contained within the state’s “roadmap to recovery”, evidences a “lack of understanding by the Victorian government regarding the operations of the real estate sector”.
“In its efforts to protect the most vulnerable of tenants, the Andrews government has not only caused them long-term harm, but has also allowed many who are not suffering COVID-related financial stress to profit from the moratorium.”
As a result, the institute is calling for an independent review of the roadmap, labelling the Andrews government response as “disproportionate, alarmist and shortsighted”.
It said, “The path proposed jeopardises livelihoods and assets of hard-working Victorians who have abided by the rules and restrictions for over six months.”
Acknowledging that people who have saved and invested in an asset like property are unable to sell it to tide over these difficult times, the REIV stated that “pushing the Victorian economy to the brink of collapse cannot be the only method of preventing the spread of coronavirus”.
Mr King said, “It is mind-boggling that the government is asking people to withdraw from their superannuation to fund their living costs but won’t let them sell their property for the same purpose.”
“Wasn’t super supposed to be your retirement fund?”
RELATED ARTICLES
-
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
-
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
-
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
About the author
About the author
Property
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more
Property
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more
Property
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more
Property
The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite
The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more
Property
From intuition to instrumentation: How a "two-stakeholder" sales playbook lifted close rates and cut cycle times
High-stakes consumer purchases are increasingly joint decisions. When one partner is under-served, deals stall. This case study follows an Australian real estate group that rebuilt its sales motion ...Read more
Property
Selling in 2025: How to spot bad agents fast—and build an ROI-first vendor playbook
In Australia’s property market, choosing the wrong listing agent isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a textbook principal–agent failure that can wipe tens of thousands off your sale outcomeRead more
Property
Selling in 2026: How to de‑risk your agent choice and protect tens of thousands at settlement
Choosing the wrong selling agent isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a balance‑sheet risk. In a market where digital discovery is concentrated and AI is recasting how listings are priced and promoted, ...Read more
Property
Rate resilience in Australian housing: why scarce supply is overpowering monetary tightening
Australia’s housing market is defying higher borrowing costs because the binding constraint isn’t demand—it’s supply. Brokers report persistent buyer competition and investor repositioning, while ...Read more
Property
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more
Property
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more
Property
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more
Property
The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite
The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more
Property
From intuition to instrumentation: How a "two-stakeholder" sales playbook lifted close rates and cut cycle times
High-stakes consumer purchases are increasingly joint decisions. When one partner is under-served, deals stall. This case study follows an Australian real estate group that rebuilt its sales motion ...Read more
Property
Selling in 2025: How to spot bad agents fast—and build an ROI-first vendor playbook
In Australia’s property market, choosing the wrong listing agent isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a textbook principal–agent failure that can wipe tens of thousands off your sale outcomeRead more
Property
Selling in 2026: How to de‑risk your agent choice and protect tens of thousands at settlement
Choosing the wrong selling agent isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a balance‑sheet risk. In a market where digital discovery is concentrated and AI is recasting how listings are priced and promoted, ...Read more
Property
Rate resilience in Australian housing: why scarce supply is overpowering monetary tightening
Australia’s housing market is defying higher borrowing costs because the binding constraint isn’t demand—it’s supply. Brokers report persistent buyer competition and investor repositioning, while ...Read more
