Victoria’s rental minimum standards require every rental to have a working toilet, a bathroom with a washbasin and a shower or bath, and a kitchen sink, with the bathroom, kitchen sink and any laundry connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water. The property must meet the standards before it’s advertised and before the renter moves in, and from 13 October 2026 rental providers must keep records showing it does.
Below is the plumbing side of those standards, the plumbing faults that count as urgent repairs, and the hot water and shower head changes starting on 1 March 2027. Every rule was checked against Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) on 15 October 2026. It’s a plain-English summary, not legal advice.
- When the minimum standards apply
- The plumbing checklist
- Which plumbing faults count as urgent repairs
- Replacing a tap, toilet or shower head
- Hot water in rentals: the 1 March 2027 change
- Shower heads: 4-star from 1 March 2027
- Other checks the law requires
- A pre-lease plumbing routine
- How we help landlords and property managers
- Frequently asked questions
When the minimum standards apply
The standards are set out in Schedule 4 of the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021. A rental must meet them before it’s advertised or offered for rent, and again before the renter moves in. For existing tenancies, they apply if the agreement started on or after 29 March 2021, or started earlier and became a month-to-month agreement on or after that date.
The newest rule is about proof. From 13 October 2026, rental providers and their agents must keep records showing the property met the standards before it was advertised and before the renter moved in, and CAV can ask to see them. Dated invoices and reports from licensed trades are an easy way to build that record.
The plumbing checklist
Bathroom
- A washbasin, plus a shower or a bath.
- Connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water.
- Shower heads with a 3-star water efficiency (WELS) rating. If one can’t be installed, for example because of the property’s age, a 1- or 2-star shower head is acceptable.
Kitchen
- A sink in good working order.
- Connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water.
Laundry
A rental doesn’t have to have a laundry. If it does, the laundry must be connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water.
Toilet
- In good working order.
- Connected to the sewer, or to an on-site wastewater system permitted under EPA Victoria’s code of practice.
- In a separate room, either on its own or in a bathroom or combined bathroom-laundry.
Damp and weatherproofing
Every room must be free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure, and the property must be structurally sound and weatherproof. A slow leak inside a wall, a failed shower seal or a roof leak can all cause that kind of damp. Our leak detection and burst pipe repairs find the source so it doesn’t keep coming back.
A plumbing fault that drops a rental below the minimum standards during a tenancy is treated as an urgent repair.
Which plumbing faults count as urgent repairs
CAV splits repairs into urgent and non-urgent. Urgent repairs must be done immediately. Non-urgent repairs must be done within 14 days of the rental provider getting a written request. These are the urgent items from CAV’s list that usually need a plumber:
- a burst water service
- a blocked or broken toilet system
- a serious roof leak
- an essential service or appliance for hot water, water, cooking, heating or laundering that isn’t working
- a water supply that isn’t working
- an appliance, fitting or fixture that isn’t working and causes a lot of water to be wasted
- flooding or serious flood damage
- the property not meeting the minimum standards
A gas leak is also urgent. If anyone smells gas, follow our steps for what to do if you smell gas first.
If the rental provider or agent doesn’t respond to an urgent repair request, the renter can organise and pay for the repair themselves, up to a cost limit set by law, and the rental provider must pay them back within 7 days. Work that needs a licence must be done by a qualified person, and every repair must be done to the standard a tradesperson would make it. For a blocked sewer, our guide to who pays for a blocked sewer in Geelong explains where the owner’s responsibility starts.
Replacing a tap, toilet or shower head
When a rental provider replaces a water appliance, fitting or fixture, the replacement must have at least a 3-star WELS water efficiency rating, for example a shower head or a toilet. Dishwashers need at least 3 stars for water and 3 stars for energy. A lower rating is only allowed where the age, nature or structure of the plumbing means a 3-star product won’t work.
Getting this wrong costs money. If a replacement doesn’t meet the rating, the rental provider must pay the renter’s water costs, and any gas or electricity costs for that item, for as long as it stays in place. The rental provider pays for replacements, too. We fit compliant tapware, toilets and shower heads as part of our tap, toilet, shower and sink repairs.
Hot water in rentals: the 1 March 2027 change
From 1 March 2027, when a rental’s existing hot water system permanently fails and can’t be repaired, the rental provider must replace it with an energy-efficient electric system. CAV says it must be either an efficient heat pump water heater or an electric-boosted solar water heater. A system in good working order doesn’t need to be replaced. The rule only applies when the existing one breaks down beyond repair.
CAV lists some common exemptions from the efficiency requirement, including:
- hot water supplied through a centralised building system, which is common in apartments
- installation not permitted under heritage laws or owners corporation rules
- not enough space for a heat pump or rooftop solar panels
Exemptions don’t remove the basic duty: every rental must provide hot water to the kitchen, laundry and bathroom facilities. CAV also says every upgrade under the new standards is eligible for a Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discount. If your rental’s system is ageing, plan the replacement before it fails. Read how a heat pump hot water system works and which hot water system suits a Geelong home, or ask us about hot water repairs and installation.
Shower heads: 4-star from 1 March 2027
From 1 March 2027, rental providers must have shower heads with at least a 4-star WELS rating in every shower. This applies at the start of a new rental agreement, or when an existing agreement becomes month-to-month. If the age, nature or structure of the plumbing means a 4-star head can’t be installed or won’t work properly, a 3-star head must be installed instead.
Other checks the law requires
Two safety checks sit outside plumbing repairs. CAV says rental providers must have a gas safety check done every two years by a licensed or registered gasfitter (where the property has gas appliances or fittings), and an electrical safety check every two years by a licensed or registered electrician. Plummers Plumbing doesn’t carry out either check, so book them with a provider who does.
A pre-lease plumbing routine
A short routine before each new tenancy, and once a year in between, covers most of the plumbing standards and gives you dated records:
- Run hot and cold water at the kitchen sink, bathroom basin, shower or bath, and laundry.
- Flush every toilet and make sure the cistern refills and stops.
- Look under sinks and vanities for drips, swelling or water stains.
- Check the WELS rating on each shower head.
- Check the hot water unit for leaks, rust or a dripping relief valve.
- Clear gutters and check ceilings for stains before winter.
- Keep every invoice and report with the date on it.
Our maintenance plumbing visits cover the plumbing checks above, with clear recommendations and a dated invoice for your records.
How we help landlords and property managers
We regularly work with property managers and real estate agencies across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast, from urgent leaks and blocked toilets to hot water failures. Emergencies are answered 24/7, and you get a fixed price before we start. See all our plumbing services, or contact Plummers Plumbing to set up repairs for your rentals.
Frequently asked questions
Do Victorian rentals have to provide hot water?
Yes. The minimum standards require the bathroom and the kitchen sink to be connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water, and any laundry too. If the hot water stops working, it’s an urgent repair, which the rental provider must arrange immediately.
Is a blocked toilet an urgent repair in Victoria?
Yes. CAV lists a blocked or broken toilet system as an urgent repair, so the rental provider must have it fixed immediately. If they or their agent don’t respond, the renter can arrange the repair and be paid back within 7 days. We clear blocked toilets 24/7.
Do I have to replace a working hot water system before March 2027?
No. CAV says you don’t need to replace a hot water system that is in good working order. The new rule applies only when the existing system permanently fails and can’t be repaired. At that point it must be replaced with an efficient heat pump or an electric-boosted solar system, unless an exemption applies.
What shower head rating does a rental need?
Right now, at least 3-star WELS, or 1- or 2-star if a 3-star head can’t be installed because of the property’s age. From 1 March 2027, at least 4-star at the start of each new agreement or month-to-month conversion, dropping to 3-star only where the plumbing can’t take a 4-star head.
Sources
The official pages this guide is based on, checked on 16 October 2026:
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Rental properties – minimum standards
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Checklist – rental properties minimum standards
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Repairs in rental properties
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Efficiency standards for replacement appliances and fixtures
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: New minimum energy efficiency standards
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Rental providers – gas and electrical safety
