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VICTORIA



(1) Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)

Phone (03) 9627 6222
Freecall™ 1800 136 716

CAV staff should be able to help you with your complaint.

The CAV site has a section for homes and renting. Click here to go to it.

You may also find the following CAV publication helpful -

'Renting : Statement of Rights and Duties' (click to link to CAV).

CAV also has forms that can be used as notices.

(2) Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)

If you can't resolve the problem, either yourself or through CAV, you can apply to the
Residential Tenancies List at the VCAT for a hearing and determination.
CAV can give you advice about how to do this.


VCAT's Residential Tenancies List took over from the former Residential Tenancies
Tribunal in 1998. The List receives, hears and determines applications made under
the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. Matters such as disputes between landlords and
tenants; between tenants and tenants; rooming house owners and residents; caravan
park owners or caravan owners and residents. The award limit is $10,000 - more if
the parties agree.

Address: 55 King St Melbourne 3000
Phone - (03) 9628 9800 (Melb metro)
Freecall™ 1800 133 055 (within Victoria)
Fax - (03) 9628 9822
You can use the Residential Tenancies Act to check your rights.
Click here to go to the VCAT site, then click on Residential Tenancy at left.

(3) Consumers can also contact the Tenants Union of Victoria for advice
about their rights.

PO Box 234, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
Advice line: (03) 9416 2577
Fax: (03) 9416 0513
Link to TUV website
Email link

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NEW SOUTH WALES

(1) Department of Fair Trading


For info on renting, go to the Fair Trading home page and click on Homes,
Building and Renting .


1 Fitzwilliam Street Parramatta 2150

PO Box 972 Parramatta 2124

Phone - (02) 9895 0111

Fax - (02) 9895 0222

General consumer enquiries 133 220


How to complain

You can ring for advice, but your complaint must be in writing.

You can use the Fair Trading complaints form.

Go to the Fair Trading home page and click on Enquiries/Complaints form.

(2) Residential Tribunal


The Tribunal is an independent decision making body. It can adjudicate most
disputes relating to strata and community schemes, residential parks, retirement
villages, community housing, and other residential tenancy agreements. Issues
include rent arrears, repairs, bond claims, illegal use of rented homes.


For more information go to the Fair Trading home page and click on Homes,
Building and Renting.


Level 12 175 Castlereagh St Sydney 2000
GPO Box 4005 Sydney 2001
Phone - Freecall™ 1800 451 292
(02) 9641 6400
Fax - (02) 9641 6477

How to complain

You need to lodge an application (you can get this from the tribunal or Fair Trading).

The application fee is $20.

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QUEENSLAND

(1) Residential Tenancies Authority


The RTA is a statutory authority that aims to solve a residential tenancy and rental
bond dispute quickly and cheaply. It covers general tenancies and moveable
dwelling tenancies. It also covers all those involved in the rental industry - real
estate agents, property managers, property owners and tenants.


33 Herschel St Brisbane 4000
GPO Box 390 Brisbane 4001
Phone - 1300 366 311 (from anywhere in Australia)
Fax - (07) 3361 3666

Go to the RTA's home page.

How to request dispute resolution

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1994,

you must attempt to resolve a dispute over bond refunds and other tenancy matters
by lodging a Dispute Resolution Request form with the RTA.


The RTA's home page has a link to this Act and to the Dispute Resolution Request
form. The RTA has a very useful fact sheet on dispute resolution that will help you
understand your rights and responsibilities. (Click here, then on Publications at left)

(2) In an urgent tenancy situation (as specified in the Act), you can apply to the
Small Claims Tribunal without first lodging a notice with the RTA.

For more information, contact the RTA, the Brisbane Small Claims Tribunal or your
local Magistrate's court. The Small Claims Tribunal limit on small claims is $5,000.
You will need to lodge a claim form and pay a filing fee.


Address - 170 North Quay Brisbane 4000

Phone - (07) 3247 4578

More info on the Small Claims Tribunal.

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SOUTH AUSTRALIA

(1) Office of Consumer and Business Affairs


Chesser House 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide 5000

PO Box 965 Adelaide 5001

Residential tenancies

Phone - (08) 8204 9544 (advice)

Fax - (08) 8204 9570

Phone - (08) 8204 9555 (bonds)

Click here to go to Residential Tenancies on the Consumer and Business Affairs site.

Click here to go to information about the Residential Tenancies Act 1995.

(2) Residential Tenancies Tribunal


The Tribunal is an independent body that provides low cost resolution of disputes

between private landlords and tenants.

The Tribunal does not deal with complaints from tenants in public housing (see contacts below).

Level 4 100 Pirie St Adelaide 5000
GPO Box 2361 Adelaide 5001
Phone - (08) 8226 8989
Fax - (08) 8226 8985

Public housing - Public Housing Appeals Unit
Level 1 45 Wakefield St Adelaide 5000
Phone - (08) 8207 0080
Fax - (08) 8207 0082 (Adelaide metro)
Freecall 1800 676 350 (SA country)

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

(1) Consumer Protection Division (was Fair Trading)
of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
Consumer Protection has a section about Renting a home.
You can go to it by clicking here.
219 St Georges Terrace Perth 6000
Locked Bag 14 Cloisters Square WA 6850
Phone (advice & complaints) - 1300 30 40 54 (cost of a local call) TTY - (08) 9282 0800 (deaf and hearing impaired) Administration - (08) 9282 0777
Fax - (08) 9282 0850
Email link to Consumer Protection
Go to Consumer Protection's home page

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TASMANIA



(1) Office of Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading


The Office has a 'Guide for Tenants' that you will find useful.

Click here to go to it on the Office's site.


Hobart

Phone - 1300 654 499 (cost of local call)

Phone - (03) 6233 4567

Fax - (03) 6233 4882

Devonport

Phone - 1300 654 499 (cost of local call)

Phone - (03) 6421 7858

Fax - (03) 6421 7860


How to complain

You can use the Office's online complaint form.

Email link to Consumer Affairs

Go to website

(2) Small Claims Division (of the Magistrates Court of Tasmania)


Hobart Registry

23-27 Liverpool St Hobart 7000

GPO Box 354D Hobart 7001

Phone - (03) 6233 3630

Launceston Registry

73 Charles St Launceston 7250

PO Box 551 Launceston 7250

Phone - (03) 6336 2605

The limit for claims is $3000.

There is a small charge to lodge your claim and you will need

a Claim Form for the Small Claims Division.

For further info, contact Consumer Affairs (above).

(3) Residential Tenancies Commissioner


The Commissioner can deal with the amount of a security deposit

to be returned at the end of a tenancy.

Phone - 1800 005 220 (is located within the Office of Consumer Affairs and fair Trading).


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ACT

(1) ACT Consumer Affairs Bureau
Level 2 GIO House City Walk
Canberra City 2600
GPO Box 158 Canberra 2601
Phone - (02) 6207 0400
Fax - (02) 6207 0424

For the Bureau's 'Renting Book', look under Consumer Information
on the Consumer Affairs home page.

(2) Residential Tenancies Tribunal (RTT)


This is an independent body that hears and determines all matters arising from

both private and public residential tenancy agreements. It resolves disputes
between landlords and tenants in private or public rental situations.

ACT Magistrates Court, Knowles Place Canberra City 2601
Phone - (02) 6217 4276
Fax - (02) 6217 4505
You will need to pay a filing fee.

Go to the RTT website


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NT

(1) Consumer and Business Affairs (Tenancy Unit)

The Tenancy Unit within Consumer and Business Affairs is responsbile
for the day to day administration of tenancy legislation in the NT.


66 The Esplanade Darwin 0801
GPO Box 1722 Darwin 0801

Phone - (08) 89991999(Darwin)

Freecall™ 1800 019 319 (within NT only)

Fax - (02) 8999 6260

Email link to Consumer and Business Affairs

Go to website


There are a number of publications on the Consumer and Business Affairs site
that will help you understand your rights.
Click here for 'Tenants and Landlords: A guide to renting in the NT'
Click here and scroll down to fact sheets such as:

• 'Solving common tenancy disputes'
• 'What tenants should know about renting'
• 'Bonds and security deposits'
  


(2) Commissioner for Tenancies

The Commissioner arbitrates disputes between tenants and landlords/real estate agents. The Commissioner makes a tenancy determination - a statutory decision that legally binds the parties but is subject to appeal through the Local Court.

The Commissioner's office is within Consumer and Business Affairs (above).

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