Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly Inequality reporter

Victorians lodge record 5,400 challenges to rent increases over past 12 months

A for lease sign in Carlton North, Melbourne
Victoria’s consumer affairs watchdog says it redirected staff to address ‘critical’ rent increase reviews after a 120% spike in requests from tenants. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Victorian tenants have lodged a record 5,400 challenges against rent rises in the past 12 months, the state’s consumer watchdog has revealed, in a 120% increase on the previous year’s figures.

As median rents rise sharply, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) was swamped with 5,448 requests for rent assessments in the 2022-23 financial year – compared with 2,452 in 2021-22 – prompting the organisation to redirect staff to handle the additional claims.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.