GREAT SOUTHERN LOCK
Guide · Renting
Changing the locks when you rent in Victoria
Renters ask us this constantly and get told three different things by three different people. Here is what the Victorian rules actually say, in plain English, with the one important exception.
- 24/7
Answered every hour
of every day - Inside the hour
On site across
Melbourne’s inner suburbs - No fix, no fee
Can’t open it? You
don’t pay a cent - Insured & ABN
Public liability cover
ABN registered
This is general information, not legal advice. The rules below come from the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 and Consumer Affairs Victoria's published guidance. If you are in a dispute, Consumer Affairs Victoria and Tenants Victoria both give free advice, and VCAT is where disagreements are decided.
Can a renter change the locks?
Generally, yes — but you need the rental provider's consent first. The important half of that sentence is the second half: the rental provider must have a good reason to refuse and cannot unreasonably withhold consent. If you ask, give a sensible reason and get an unreasonable no, you can apply to VCAT.
In practice, most agents say yes to a rekey, because it costs them nothing and reduces their risk too. Ask in writing, say you will supply a key, and the answer is usually straightforward.
If the locks are changed, who gets a key?
Whoever changes the lock has to make sure the other side still has access. If the renter changes a lock, the rental provider gets a key. If the rental provider changes a lock, they must give the renter new keys as soon as possible. A lock change is not a way for either side to shut the other out.
On move-in, each person named on the rental agreement is entitled to one free set of keys. Extra copies beyond that can attract a reasonable fee.
What locks must a rental actually have?
This is the part most renters do not know, and it is the part that gets things fixed. Under Victoria's rental minimum standards, a rental property must have:
- Every external entry door other than a screen door must either be securable with a functioning deadlock, or be fitted with a lock that can be operated by a key from the outside.
- Windows must open and close properly and have functioning latches to secure them against entry. A keyed window lock is not required by the standard, though it is worth having on anything ground-floor.
If your external door has no deadlatch, or a window that opens has no working latch, that is not a favour you are asking for. It is a minimum standard, and it is the rental provider's responsibility to meet it. Put the request in writing and reference the minimum standards.
The family violence exception
There is one situation where a renter does not need permission. If you have a family violence intervention order, a family violence safety notice, or a personal safety intervention order, you can change the external door or window locks without the rental provider's or agent's consent.
After the change you need to give new keys to the rental provider and to any other renters on the agreement — other than the person the order excludes — and give the rental provider a copy of the order, which means they cannot then hand a key to the excluded person.
If that is your situation, say so when you ring. It changes the paperwork and it changes how quickly the job is treated. Safe Steps (1800 015 188) operates 24 hours in Victoria.
Should you rekey or replace?
For a renter, rekeying is nearly always the right call. It changes what the key does while leaving the rental provider's hardware exactly as it was, which removes the main reason an agent would object. Replacing the lock means their property has been altered, and that is a longer conversation. Our guide on rekeying versus replacing goes through the trade-off properly.
Moving into a Melbourne rental this week?
Ask the agent whether the locks were rekeyed after the last tenancy. Very often the honest answer is no, and nobody can tell you how many keys are in circulation from previous renters, their partners, their friends and the tradespeople who worked on the place. A single-cylinder rekey is one of the cheapest security decisions available. There is a fuller list on our moving house security checklist.
Talk to a person
Every question on this page has a specific answer for your actual lock, car or building. One call, straight to the mobile, 24 hours.
- No call centre
- Price before any tool comes out
- ABN 73 112 836 867, insured
Questions
Common questions
Can my landlord change the locks without telling me?
They must give you new keys as soon as possible if they change a lock. A lock change that leaves you unable to get into your own home is not permitted, and changing the locks to force a renter out is unlawful — that is a matter for Consumer Affairs Victoria and VCAT.
My agent said no to a rekey. Is that the end of it?
Not necessarily. Consent cannot be unreasonably withheld. Ask for the reason in writing. If the reason does not stack up, Consumer Affairs Victoria can advise and VCAT can decide. Offering to supply a key and to use a rekey rather than new hardware removes most reasonable objections.
There is no deadlatch on my back door. Who pays?
The rental provider. Under the Victorian rental minimum standards, every external entry door other than a screen door must either be securable with a functioning deadlock or be fitted with a lock that can be operated by a key from the outside. That is a standard, not an optional upgrade. Request it in writing and keep the reply.
Do you need to see my lease before you will rekey a rental?
We need to be satisfied you have a right to be there and, for a lock change, that consent exists — unless the family violence exception applies. That protects you as much as us. A tenancy agreement and photo ID is normally all it takes.
Can you change the locks when you're renting?
Yes, in most cases. Section 70 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic) lets either party change an external door or window lock, and requires whoever changed it to give a key to the other party as soon as practicable. Consent is only needed where the lock is part of a master key system, and the rental provider must not unreasonably withhold it. Separate provisions cover premises subject to a family violence intervention order. Check the current wording at Consumer Affairs Victoria before you act, and put the request and the answer in writing either way.
What modifications can renters make in Victoria?
The 2021 reforms created a list of minor modifications a Victorian renter can make without consent, and a larger set that need written consent which cannot be unreasonably refused. Locks sit under their own rule rather than the modifications list: section 70 allows an external lock to be changed provided a key goes to the other party, with consent needed only for a master key system. Anything structural, and anything affecting a heritage-listed property, is a consent conversation. Get the request and the answer in writing either way.
Do landlords have to change the keys every time a new tenant comes in?
There is no blanket legal requirement in Victoria to rekey between tenancies. What the rental minimum standards do require is that every external entry door other than a screen door is either securable with a functioning deadlock, or fitted with a lock that can be operated by a key from the outside. In practice a great many agents rekey as routine anyway, because the alternative is a property where every past tenant, their partners and anyone they lent a key to still has working access. It is cheap insurance against a claim.
Can a landlord change the lock?
Yes, but not secretly. The same section 70 obligation runs both ways: a rental provider who changes an external lock must give the renter a key as soon as practicable. What they cannot do is use a lock change to exclude a renter who still has the right to occupy the property. Being locked out of your own tenancy is a serious matter and Consumer Affairs Victoria treats it as one.
Locked out, or need a key cut right now?
One call goes straight to the mobile — no call centre, no queue. You speak to a locksmith, not a switchboard. Can't talk? Text a photo of the lock and we'll come back with a firm price.
Related