Pets in a Rental Property VIC: Landlord Guide

This article is general information, not legal advice. The rules below on pets VIC rentals come from Consumer Affairs Victoria, so check current details with them before you make a call on any pet request.

The basic rule for pets in Victoria

A renter needs the rental provider's written consent before keeping a pet at the property. That much hasn't changed. What has changed is that a landlord can't just say no because they'd rather not deal with pets. Consent cannot be unreasonably refused, and if you want to refuse a request, there's a formal process with a set timeframe attached.

For landlords used to running their own properties without an agent, this is one area where getting the paperwork and timing right actually matters. Miss the window to object and you effectively lose your ability to say no.

How the consent process works

When a renter wants to keep a pet, they put the request to you in writing. From there you have two options:

• Consent to the pet (in writing), or
• Apply to VCAT within 14 days of receiving the request if you want to refuse.

If you don't apply to VCAT within that 14-day window, consent is generally treated as given. VCAT is the body that ultimately decides whether a refusal is reasonable, not the landlord alone. That's a big shift from the old assumption that pets were entirely at the landlord's discretion.

What counts as "reasonable" grounds to refuse

VCAT weighs up the circumstances of each case: the type and size of the property, body corporate or building rules, the type of pet, and any specific risks or issues it might present. There's no fixed checklist that guarantees a refusal will be upheld, which is exactly why the process runs through VCAT rather than being left to the landlord's opinion.

No pet bonds and no pet rent

Here's a practical point worth getting right: you cannot charge a separate pet bond, and you can't add "pet rent" as an extra recurring charge on top of standard rent. The bond you take at the start of a tenancy is the only bond you're entitled to collect, whether or not the renter has a pet.

If you're working from an older lease template or advice that mentions a pet bond, that clause has no legal effect in Victoria. It's worth reviewing your template so you're not including terms that could confuse renters or spark disputes down the track.

Who pays for pet damage

Renters remain responsible for any damage their pet causes to the property. This is really the trade-off for scrapping pet bonds: rather than a specific pet bond covering pet-related damage, ordinary damage liability rules apply. If a pet chews a skirting board or stains the carpet, that's assessed like any other damage a renter is responsible for, and it's usually sorted at the end of the tenancy through the standard bond and condition report process.

That makes thorough entry and exit condition reports more important, not less, when a pet is living in the property. A clear record of the property's condition before the pet moves in gives you something concrete to point to if a dispute arises later over what caused the damage.

What this means day-to-day for landlords

A few habits will keep you on the right side of the pets VIC rules and reduce friction with renters:

• Ask renters to put pet requests in writing so the 14-day clock and your response are both documented.
• Diarise the date a pet request arrives. The 14-day window to apply to VCAT is tight and easy to miss if you're managing things informally.
• Keep your lease and any renter communications free of pet bond or pet rent clauses.
• Do a detailed condition report (with photos) before a pet moves in, and again at the end of the tenancy.
• Think through genuine, property-specific concerns (space, existing damage risk, body corporate rules) rather than a blanket "no pets" stance. A blanket refusal is less likely to hold up if challenged at VCAT.

Handling requests without an agent

Self-managing landlords don't have an agent to filter or negotiate pet requests, so the written trail sits entirely with you. Keeping requests, consents, refusals and any VCAT applications in one place, alongside your lease and condition reports, saves a lot of stress if a dispute ever comes up.

FAQ

Can I still say no to a pet in Victoria?

Yes, but only by applying to VCAT within 14 days of the renter's request, and VCAT will decide whether your refusal is reasonable. You can't just refuse informally and leave it there.

What happens if I miss the 14-day window?

If you don't apply to VCAT in time, the pet request is generally treated as consented to. That's why tracking the date a request comes in matters so much.

Can I charge a bond specifically for pets?

No. A separate pet bond or ongoing pet rent isn't allowed under the current rules. The standard bond is the only bond you can collect.

Who pays if the pet damages the property?

The renter remains responsible for damage caused by their pet, assessed the same way as any other tenant-caused damage at the end of the tenancy.

Where can I check the current rules?

Consumer Affairs Victoria publishes up-to-date guidance on pets in rentals, and it's worth checking their site directly before responding to a pet request, since processes can change over time.

Keeping track of pet requests, consent letters, condition reports and VCAT deadlines is exactly the kind of admin that turns messy once it's scattered across emails and notebooks. EZRENT gives self-managing landlords a single place to store lease documents and communications, run maintenance and condition tracking, and keep rent payments moving as direct Stripe charges, so nothing about a pet request or a damage claim gets lost. If you want a hand setting this up, you can talk to the EZRENT team, browse plans and pricing, or check out more guides like this one.

This article is general information only and is not financial, legal or professional advice. Rules, thresholds and requirements vary by state or territory and change over time - always check the current rules with your local tenancy authority or a qualified professional before acting on anything above.