If you are a Victorian renter with a bond, compensation, repairs, or rent increase dispute, your first formal step is no longer a VCAT hearing. Since Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) launched in June 2025 as a free service operated by VCAT, most disputes begin with mediation, and most end there without ever reaching a hearing.
This is generally good news for renters. Mediation is faster, cheaper, less formal, and significantly less stressful than a tribunal. But it is still a structured process, and renters who walk in unprepared lose ground to rental providers who have dealt with these systems many times before.
What RDRV covers
RDRV handles four categories of Victorian rental disputes:
- Bond disputes, disagreements over how much of the bond should be released to each party
- Compensation claims, rental providers claiming damages beyond the bond, or renters claiming compensation for provider breaches
- Repair disputes, unresolved maintenance, urgent repairs, and related compensation
- Rent increase disputes, challenging increases as excessive under the Act
Family violence, eviction, and co-renter disputes are handled by different services. If you are unsure which applies to your situation, start with Tenants Victoria.
How an RDRV case proceeds
The typical timeline from application to resolution is two to four weeks, though complex matters can take longer.
Step 1, Application
Either party can apply online through the myRDRV portal at rdrv.vic.gov.au, or by phone. For bond disputes, the referral often happens automatically when you contest a claim on RTBA Online. For other disputes, you initiate the application yourself.
Step 2, Resolution Coordinator assignment
A Resolution Coordinator is assigned within a few business days. They will contact both parties to explain the process and request documentation. The Coordinator is an RDRV staff member, not a lawyer or judge, their role is to facilitate agreement, not decide the case.
Step 3, Document exchange
Each party submits their evidence: condition reports, photos, emails, receipts, lease agreement, and a written statement of the dispute. The Coordinator circulates this material between both sides.
Step 4, Mediation call
Most mediations happen by phone or video. The Coordinator speaks with each party, explores the issues, and proposes resolution options. Some cases are resolved in a single call of 30 to 60 minutes. Others require multiple rounds.
Step 5, Outcome
If both parties agree, the Coordinator records the settlement and, because RDRV is a VCAT service, the agreement is legally binding. For bond disputes, the RTBA releases funds in accordance with the agreement.
If no agreement is reached, the Coordinator confirms this and the matter escalates to a formal VCAT hearing. Your RDRV evidence carries forward; you do not need to submit it again.
Preparing for your RDRV mediation
Four things every renter should do before their mediation call:
1. Write a one-page chronology
Dated events only. When the tenancy started, when the dispute began, key communications, and what you are seeking. Members and mediators both appreciate renters who can explain the timeline cleanly.
2. Organise your evidence by category
Entry condition, exit condition, communications, receipts, statement. If your evidence arrives as "here are 80 photos in random order", nobody reads them carefully.
3. Know what you want
"My bond back" is not enough. A number is enough. "$2,400 of the $2,600 bond, less $200 for the agreed cleaning cost." Come with a specific ask and a specific fallback.
4. Know the relevant Act sections
You do not need to be a lawyer, but citing sections of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic) shifts the conversation from opinion to law. Common sections in bond disputes: s.485 (bond refund), s.411AB (bond claim limits), s.471 (fair wear and tear). For a repairs dispute: s.68 (duty to maintain), s.72 (urgent repairs).
Common RDRV mistakes
- Arguing with the Coordinator. They are neutral. Treat them as such.
- Accepting the first offer. Rental providers often open low. Counter-offer.
- Missing the call. Missed mediations can escalate straight to VCAT without your input.
- Not submitting written evidence. Verbal claims carry less weight than documents.
- Emotional negotiation. Stay factual. Members and mediators respond to evidence, not feelings, even where feelings are justified.
Tenantly prepares your RDRV bundle for you.
Video walkthroughs, email timelines, and receipts are already organised. Your one-page chronology is auto-generated. Come to mediation ready.
Get early access →Official RDRV resources
- rdrv.vic.gov.au, main RDRV site with the myRDRV application portal
- VCAT's RDRV announcement, background on the service
- Tenantly's full bond dispute guide, where RDRV fits in the broader process