Managing complaints

The Housing Registrar will review all complaints from people who are affected by decisions of a registered agency on matters relating to rental housing if they are not satisfactorily resolved through the agency’s complaints process.

The core focus of our complaints process is to:

assist in facilitating an outcome for the complainant through local resolution where possible
to ensure registered agencies have acted in accordance with their policies and procedures.

We will make enquiries with registered agencies to facilitate a resolution and provide alternative avenues for information or resolution to complainants where appropriate.

The complaints process

Contact the registered agency
- Contact the registered agency(opens in a new window) and provide details of your complaint.
- The registered agency will take all reasonable steps to resolve your complaint and provide you with a written response within 30 days. In some circumstances, it may take longer than 30 days to resolve your complaint; this will be discussed with you.
- If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you can ask the registered agency to review its decision by following the agency's internal appeals process.
- If you are still dissatisfied with the outcome or the agency has not resolved your complaint within 30 days, you can seek assistance from the Housing Registrar.
First external review: The Housing Registrar
- Contact the Housing Registrar with details of your unresolved complaint.
- We will review your complaint and contact the registered agency to determine what has been done to resolve it.
- If the registered agency is not aware of your complaint, we will direct you back to the registered agency to resolve it.
- If the registered agency is aware of your complaint and has had reasonable time to resolve it, we will make an assessment and assist you and the registered agency to resolve the issue. In some circumstances, it may not be possible to resolve a complaint to your satisfaction; the reasons for this will be communicated.
- If we find that the registered agency has breached its obligations, we may take regulatory action.
Second external review: The Victorian Ombudsman
- If you are unsatisfied with how the registered agency and Housing Registrar handled your complaint, you can contact the Victorian Ombudsman(opens in a new window).
- The Victorian Ombudsman will ask you if a formal complaint has been made directly to the registered agency and Housing Registrar, what happened, and the outcome you are seeking.
- The Victorian Ombudsman may ask you to make a formal complaint to the registered agency or Housing Registrar before it assesses the issue. In some circumstances, the Victorian Ombudsman will choose to handle your complaint directly when you have not contacted the registered agency or Housing Registrar.
- The Victorian Ombudsman is also able to conciliate complaints as an alternative method of dispute resolution.
- You may also have statutory rights of appeal which should be directed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal by calling 1300 018 228 or emailing renting@vcat.vic.gov.au.