Pet Bond Victoria: Can a Landlord Charge One?

If you're a Victorian landlord wondering whether you can charge a separate pet bond on top of the standard rental bond, the answer is no. Victoria explicitly prohibits separate pet deposits, and demanding one is a regulatory breach.

The Rule

Under Victorian tenancy law, a rental provider cannot demand or accept any bond beyond the standard amount permitted under Section 31 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. There is no carve-out for pet deposits, pet bonds, or additional security tied to pet ownership.

The standard bond cap — one calendar month's rent where weekly rent is $900 or less — is all you're entitled to collect. A separate charge labelled "pet deposit," "pet bond," or "animal security" on top of that is unlawful.

This differs from some other Australian states and territories. In Western Australia, for example, landlords can charge a pet bond of up to $260. Victoria doesn't have an equivalent provision.

What About Pet Damage?

The prohibition on pet bonds doesn't mean you absorb pet damage. You can still claim against the standard bond for damage caused by a pet, using the same process as any other damage claim:

1. Document the entry condition on Form 2 with photos. Note the state of carpets, fly screens, doors, fences, and gardens before the pet-owning renter moves in.
2. Conduct the exit inspection and compare against the baseline.
3. Deliver itemised evidence to the renter at least 3 business days before lodging a bond claim.
4. Claim at depreciated value — VCAT applies the same useful-life depreciation rules to pet damage as any other damage.

Common pet damage claims include scratched timber floors, stained or odour-affected carpet, damaged fly screens and blinds, torn garden beds, and urine damage to flooring.

Professional Cleaning Clauses

You can include a clause requiring professional cleaning if the renter keeps a pet — but enforcement is limited. Victoria only allows you to charge for professional cleaning (including carpet steam cleaning) when:

• Professional cleaning is needed to restore the property to the cleanliness standard documented at the start of the tenancy, or
• The renter agreed to specific cleaning terms to accommodate their pet, and professional cleaning is genuinely necessary to address pet-related hygiene issues.

A blanket "carpet must be professionally cleaned regardless of condition" clause won't hold up. If the carpet is clean and odour-free at exit — even with a pet in residence — there's nothing to claim.

Practical Steps for Landlords Allowing Pets

Since you can't charge extra security, your protection comes from thorough documentation:

• Photograph every surface a pet might affect before move-in, especially carpet, timber floors, screen doors, garden beds, and fencing.
• Note the specific condition of these areas on Form 2 — "carpet, no stains or odour, professional clean standard" establishes a clear benchmark.
• At exit, document any pet-specific damage with close-up photos and compare directly to the entry photos.

The Rental Bonds in Victoria guide covers the standard bond claim process including how to structure pet damage deductions with depreciation calculations that VCAT will accept.

See more Victoria guides →