Under current law, a rental provider (landlord) can issue a notice to vacate without providing a reason to the tenant. The notice period is 120 days for rental agreements of up to five years.

From 1 July 2020, a rental provider must provide a valid reason to end a rental agreement (lease). They cannot issue a ‘no specified reason’ notice to vacate.

Examples of valid reasons include selling the property, change of use or demolition of the premises, and a rental provider moving back into the premises.

A rental provider can give a notice to vacate if the renter or any other person occupying the premises has seriously threatened or intimidated: 

• the rental provider or their agent, or
• contractors or employees of the rental provider or their agent.

A rental provider may also give a notice to vacate if:

• VCAT has excluded a pet from the rental premise, and
• the renter has failed to comply with the VCAT order within 14 days