Community housing regulation
The Housing Registrar monitors and regulates the community housing sector in Victoria.
Our strategic outcomes
The Housing Registrar provides regulatory oversight of Victoria’s registered community housing agencies to ensure the sector is sustainable and meets the needs of tenants.
We achieve this through three key strategic areas of focus:
1. Consistent and targeted compliance
We focus on clear and consistent compliance practices. Our collaborative, proactive and targeted approach to compliance ensures registered agencies remain viable and meet tenant needs.
2. Sustainable and inclusive growth
We support sustainable growth and investment in the community housing sector in Victoria. To do so, we minimise unnecessary barriers to entry and reduce regulatory burden where possible.
3. Supporting the tenant journey
Supporting the tenant journey is at the heart of what we do. We are focused on the interests of tenants, ensuring they feel heard and have appropriate avenues to resolve complaints should they arise.
Who we regulate
In Victoria, community housing agencies are registered under the Housing Act 1983(opens in a new window). All registered agencies in Victoria are not-for-profit organisations established to provide affordable rental housing to people on low incomes.
The community housing sector is diverse and registered agencies service a range of different cohorts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, victims of family violence, older people and those at risk of homelessness.
Registered agencies provide various forms of housing. Community housing is most commonly long-term accommodation in apartments, units, or free-standing houses, but also includes crisis and transitional housing, rooming houses, and co-operative housing.
The Housing Registrar’s oversight extends across all housing provided by registered agencies, including social, affordable and market-rent housing.
We do not oversee public housing, which is provided by HousingVic. Further information or assistance for public housing tenants and applicants is available on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing(opens in a new window) website.
National Regulatory System for Community Housing
The National Regulatory System for Community Housing(opens in a new window) (NRSCH) registers, monitors and regulates community housing providers across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Victoria and Western Australia are not part of the NRSCH.
Performance Standards for the Victorian and National Regulatory systems are the same, and where possible we align with the NRSCH to reduce the burden on registered agencies operating across different states.
Our compliance process
The Housing Registrar provides regulatory oversight of registered community housing agencies by monitoring and enforcing compliance with the Housing Act 1983 and Performance Standards.
Managing complaints
Guidance on making a complaint about a registered community housing agency in Victoria.
Updated 27 March 2026
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide