What is mandatory in a Vic Rental

I am in a 3 bedroom rental and have issues that the real estate is not replying to or getting fixed so I am wanting to know if any of these are classified as mandatory or if they are all considered non-urgent or not necessary .

- There is no clothesline

- Windows do not have fly screens

- The cold water pressure in the shower in particular is very soft. A plumber advised the pipes from street to house are copper but throughout the house they are metal and would be starting to rust therefore reducing water pressure. Nothing has happened further since the plumber even with numerous follow ups.

- There is no security light at the front door (there is a sensor in the car port). If someone was to come to my door at night I would not be able to see who they were without opening my front door which is not ideal or safe.

Thanks for your help.

 

In my opinion, only a clothesline is required - from a practical point of view but possibly not legally required.

I don't have flyscreens in my own house - but do have them in IP and they are nice to have but not mandatory.

The water pressure and specific 'security light' are not mandated at all.

Are you saying there is no porch light or just no sensor light on the porch? It’s very unusual to have no light at all on a porch and I would think it might be a trip issue if you can't see to walk down steps from the entrance.

However, many modern water saving shower heads increase the 'felt' pressure of the water and are cheap. A flier came round the other day offering a free swap as part of a water savings scheme (I'm in Melbourne).

 

Surf around the Victorian Consumer Affairs site:

Non-urgent repairs

Many of your concerns are valid, but would fall into the non-urgent maintenance category.

Fly screens, security lights, and clothes lines are not required. However as Joynz said above, it would be common sense for a clothes line and a front light to be installed.

This make no sense. All I can read between the lines is that there is a leak due to a rusted pipe. Just before you go to bed, take a water meter reading and compare it to a reading in the morning. If there is a big difference than you are paying to wasted water and this would be an urgent and mandatory issue.

 

I’m afraid none are required- everything you have listed are requests. Things to look at prior to moving in or to get a written agreement as part of leasing the property.

Water pressure varies from house to house, appliance to appliance- unless you can put it forward as a danger (burning as the cold water is playing up) the owner is only required to maintain the property, sect 68 of the residential tenancy act. How that’s interpreted varies from landlord to landlord.