Your housing rights as an Aboriginal person in Victoria

As an Aboriginal person in Victoria, you have housing rights that go beyond what non-Aboriginal people have. These rights exist because the Victorian government acknowledges the disadvantage Aboriginal people face in housing.

Your right to priority housing

The Victorian Housing Register (VHR) is the waitlist for public housing in Victoria. When you apply, you can identify as Aboriginal. Aboriginal applicants are supposed to get priority access to public housing — you don’t wait in the same queue as everyone else.

This is not just a policy — it’s in the guidelines for social housing in Victoria. If someone tells you that you have to wait the same as everyone else, they’re wrong. Raise this with your local housing worker or get help from a tenancy support worker.

Your right as a tenant

When you’re renting, you have rights under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. This includes:

• 60 days notice if your landlord wants to end a periodic tenancy
• The landlord must maintain the property to minimum standards (working locks, functioning bathroom and kitchen, no structural problems)
• You cannot be locked out of your rental without a court order
• Your bond must be protected in a trust account

If your landlord is not meeting their obligations, you can complain to Consumer Affairs Victoria or get help from the Tenancy Union.

Bond loans and help with upfront costs

You don’t need to have your full bond amount in cash upfront. The Statewide Rentals Service (SRS) can loan you your bond — you pay it back over time, interest-free. This applies even if you have a low income.

Call 1800 260 026 to ask about a bond loan.

If you’re homeless — 1800 825 955

If you’re homeless or at risk of homelessness, 1800 825 955 is Victoria’s homelessness hotline. They must help you. They cannot turn you away. You have the right to a response — not just a phone call, but an actual pathway to housing.

If you’re Aboriginal, tell them — you may have priority access to housing crisis responses.

Indigenous tenancy support workers

There are tenancy support workers specifically for Aboriginal people in Victoria. They can help you:

• Navigate the housing system
• Fill in housing applications
• Deal with tenancy problems
• Advocate for you with housing providers

Ask at your local ACCHO (MDAS in Mildura) or Swan Hill Neighbourhood House about tenancy support.

Room to complain

If your rental is not meeting minimum standards, you have the right to complain. This includes:

• Mould and damp
• Broken appliances the landlord won’t fix
• Unsafe conditions
• Locks that don’t work

Contact Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 818 809 or the Tenancy Union Victoria on 1300 788 648.