What to do now
Official mould page: Consumer Affairs Victoria, Pests, infestations and mould. Repair path: Repairs in rental properties. Keep paying rent. Free help: RDRV. Check current VCAT residential fees on the VCAT fees page.
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Document it today. Photos and short video of the mould and any leaks, damp patches, or blocked ventilation. Note when you first saw it and what rooms are affected.
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Notify the rental provider or agent in writing. Email is fine. Say what needs fixing, attach photos, and ask for urgent repair if the mould or damp is from the building structure and makes the place unsafe. Keep a copy. Use Consumer Affairs Victoria's Notice to rental provider form if you can.
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Limit further damage where you can. Ventilate when the weather allows, use exhaust fans when cooking or showering, and move belongings away from mouldy surfaces. Do not stop paying rent.
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If they do not act promptly on an urgent mould problem:
- Cost $2,500 or less: you can organise and pay for the repair (licensed trades where required), give written notice of the repair and cost within 7 days, then they have 7 days to reimburse you.
- Cost over $2,500: you cannot organise it yourself. Apply to free RDRV (they review those applications within 2 business days).
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If reimbursement or repairs stall, use free RDRV, then VCAT. For non-urgent mould ignored for 14 days after a written request, ask Consumer Affairs Victoria for a free repairs inspection, then RDRV to enforce the report if needed.
Worked example
Sam finds black mould on a bedroom wall after heavy rain and a long-running roof stain. Sam photographs the wall and the ceiling stain, emails the agent the same day calling it an urgent repair under the structural mould rule, and moves clothes out of that wardrobe. The agent does not reply. The quote is $1,800. Sam books a licensed remediator, pays, and within 7 days sends written notice with the invoice. The provider then has 7 days to pay Sam back. If that stalls, Sam applies to RDRV (free). If the quote had been over $2,500, Sam would have gone straight to RDRV instead of paying first.
Who is responsible for mould
Consumer Affairs Victoria says the law does not always name who pays for mould. Responsibility often turns on cause:
- Renter side examples: mould from not using a bathroom fan, or pests attracted to uncleared rubbish.
- Provider side examples: a faulty window frame letting rain in, mould or pests already there at move-in, or a hole in the roof.
If the problem is caused by or related to the building structure and makes the property unsafe or insecure, it is an urgent repair under section 3 and section 72 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic). Failing minimum rental standards is also on the urgent-repair list.
You may need proof the mould is dangerous (hygienist, environmental health, council, or a doctor's letter for conditions like asthma). VCAT can order reimbursement of those assessment costs in some cases.
Urgent vs non-urgent mould
Urgent: structural mould or damp making the place unsafe or insecure, or a related urgent fault (serious roof leak, flooding, minimum-standards failure). Provider must act immediately. Self-repair path capped at $2,500 with the 7-day / 7-day notice and reimbursement clocks. See also our Victorian urgent repairs guide.
Non-urgent: everything else you can still safely live with. Written request, then 14 days for the provider to do the work. Free CAV repairs inspection if they ignore you or you disagree about fault.
Rent and temporary move-out
Keep paying rent while you wait. You can apply to RDRV for rent to go into Consumer Affairs Victoria's Rent Special Account until the issue is sorted. Put any agreed rent reduction or temporary move-out terms in writing before you leave.
Where to get help
Consumer Affairs Victoria: 1300 558 181
Pests, infestations and mould · Repairs in rental properties
RDRV: rdrv.vic.gov.au (free)
VCAT: vcat.vic.gov.au or 1300 018 228
Current fees
Tenants Victoria: 1800 068 860 · tenantsvic.org.au