Renting a home: a guide for tenants - Consumer Affairs Victoria

At the start of your tenancy
Carefully read and understand
the tenancy agreement before you
sign it.
Get the landlord or agent’s
contact details.
Tenancy agreements
A tenancy agreement, also called a lease,
can be in writing or verbal. If a tenancy
agreement is in writing it should be in
the proper legal form. Tenancy agreement
forms are available from Consumer
Affairs Victoria.
There are two types of tenancy
agreements:
1. A fixed-term agreement is for an initial
set period.
2. A periodic agreement has no end date.
A tenancy agreement is a legal contract
between you and your landlord.
It outlines:
• the rent you need to pay and
how to pay it
• the length and type of tenancy
• the amount of bond required
• other conditions and rules.
Pay the bond if required.
Pay rent in advance
if required.
PART 1: Beginning a tenancy
Fill out and keep a copy
of the ‘Condition Report’.
Most people who sign a tenancy
agreement pay rent to a landlord or
agent working for the landlord.
Note:
If you or your landlord does
not give notice to end a
fixed-term agreement, you will
automatically roll over to a periodic
tenancy agreement.
For more information about
ending a tenancy, see page 25.
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