Rent review
Every 6 months households that receive a rental rebate have their eligibility reassessed. This rent review looks at the reported household income and information. The rent review will not include changes to water charges.
As a result of the review, households will receive a letter with the payment amount for the next 6 months. The payment amount may be the same or may change.
All public housing renters receive a letter from the department as part of the rent review. This is to inform renters about any changes.
No renter in public housing needs to pay more than 25% of their income in rent. This is very different to the private rental market that does not have this rent protection.
Key dates
May 2025
August 2025
Late 2025
February 2026
Market rent review
A market rent review is separate from a general rent review. It is an assessment conducted once a year in line with section 44 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 to adjust rents to ensure a fair and sustainable public housing system.
Market rent is the value the property would rent for in the private market and is regularly and independently assessed by the Valuer General Victoria based on similar properties. The Valuer General considers the age, building location and amenity of a selection of public housing properties in determining market rents.
A small number of Victoria’s public housing renters pay market rent with the vast majority receiving a rental rebate from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to keep their rent at 25% of their household income.