Landlords face huge fines if they block renters from lodging own bond

The Carroll government has enacted a new law aimed at landlords who try to stop tenants exercising a newly minted right to lodge their own bond. Victorian renters will from today be able to cut their landlord out of their bond paying process, with changes allowing them to lodge bonds directly themselves. And landlords who try to resist the change are risking fines up to $26,000 under newly implemented offence from the state government. Historically, it had been landlords or property managers who have lodged funds with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority. RELATED: Melbourne rent rises to triple government forecast, kill tax relief Data exposes acute rental shortage leaving entire Victorian councils with almost no homes Vic prepares $14.6bn war chest for energy bill war In the latest rental reform for the state, which has had more than 150 changes to tenancy regulations in the past few years, the Carroll government has allowed renters to lodge their bond themselves — taking out the middle man. And there is a new offence for landlords who discriminate against a renter who seeks to lodge the bond themselves, with those who break the new rule facing a more than $5000 fine (25 penal...