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Scenario 4: Broken things where I live

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You should tell your landlord (the person who rents out your room) about things that need to be fixed in writing.

There are time limits the landlord must follow. If the owner does not fix the problems quickly, call Tenants Victoria (03 9416 2577).

Urgent problems are things like a broken toilet, flooding, fire hazard or gas leak. The landlord must fix them immediately.

If your landlord does not respond quickly, in some circumstances you can get urgent repairs done yourself and then get the owner to pay you back.

If you cannot do that yourself, you can apply to VCAT for an urgent hearing to order the owner to do the repairs.

To find out more about repairs when renting, you can get more online information in English and other languages at:

Non-urgent problems, like a broken sink tap, a broken dishwasher or a non-functioning powerpoint need to be fixed within 14 days.

If your landlord is not fixing these problems, you can give them a formal notice. If they don't fix it within 14 days after the notice you can take the matter further.

You can also call Tenants Victoria (03 9416 2577), Victoria Legal Aid (1300 792 387) or a Community Legal Centre for free, confidential advice on what to do. You can ask them to organise an interpreter for you.

Learn more about issues like this

Learn more about the people and places that can help

Free Legal Help

Lawyers are here to help you. They can give you clear directions about what to do next based on what you want, and they can do things for you like talk to other people, speak in court and draft documents. If you speak to a lawyer, they cannot tell anyone what you have said – including migration authorities, police and family. What you tell them won’t affect your visa, work or education.

Tenants Victoria

If you have a problem with where you live, Tenants Victoria can give you free telephone advice in your language. They also have free online information in English and other languages.

Victoria Legal Aid (VLA)

If you have a legal problem, you can read free legal information on the VLA website. They can also give you free and confidential legal advice on the phone in your language and sometimes give you ongoing help with your situation.

Community Legal Centres (CLCs)

Community Legal Centres (CLCs) are independent community organisations that provide free and confidential legal services to the public. They help people who are ineligible for legal aid and cannot afford a private lawyer.

They can provide free legal information, advice and in some cases ongoing assistance to you as an international student.

Other Services

Some services can provide you with support or information. This might include general information about your options. They are a good place to start when you are having trouble and want to find out more about what you can do.

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)

If you have a dispute with someone about things like goods and services or renting, or you are unhappy with a decision by a government agency, you might be able to take it to VCAT. If VCAT agrees with you, they can force the other person to fix the issue. You can check if VCAT covers your issue online in your language.

Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)

If you’re having a problem getting a refund from your school or the place where you live, CAV might be able to help you fix it.