Who Takes Care of Rental Security

It is the landlord’s responsibility to provide locks on doors and windows that make rental premises secure. If the tenant or landlord change the locks, they must give the other party a copy of the new key as soon as possible.

Who is responsible for security and locks?

Providing Locks

It is the responsibility of the landlord to supply locks (or any other security devices) to ensure that the rented premises are secure. This means that the landlord must hand over the rented premises to the tenant in a secure state.

The landlord should provide a key to all the tenants under the agreement at the beginning of the tenancy agreement.

Changing the Locks

Whenever the tenant or landlord changes the locks on any door or window, they must supply the other party with a copy of the new key as soon as possible.

If the tenant wants to change a lock in a master key system, then they must obtain the landlord’s consent. If the landlord withholds consent, the tenant can apply to the Tribunal for order overriding the landlord. The Tribunal will only make an order if the landlord’s withholding of consent was unreasonable.

With the landlord providing locks to secure all external doors and windows of the rented premises, the landlord can keep copies of all house keys, but tenants should confirm that the landlord has a spare set when they sign the lease.

If any locks are changed, a key to the new lock must be given to the other party – that is, the landlord or other tenants – as soon as possible.

A tenant must get the landlord’s consent (which cannot be unreasonably withheld) if they want to change a lock. If the tenant believes the landlord is unreasonably withholding consent, they can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for a ruling on the matter.

Rooming house owners are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure a resident’s room is as secure as possible.

Note: A rooming house is a building where one or more rooms are available to rent, and four or more people in total can occupy those rooms.

Landlords have a duty under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 to make sure that the properties they rent out are kept in good repair. This also applies to common areas owned or managed by the landlord.

If your rental property needs repairs, you should follow the steps set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. The Act provides two different repairs procedures; one for urgent repairs and another for non-urgent or general repairs.

Any fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or not secure is defined as an urgent repair. The landlord must carry out urgent repairs immediately. At the start of your tenancy, the landlord or real estate agent must provide you with a telephone number you can reach them on in case of urgent repairs.

References:
https://flatmates.com.au/info/vic-security-locks
https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au
https://www.tuv.org.au/advice/repairs/