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I am … a tenant in a residential building

As a tenant of an apartment building in Victoria, you may have heard about the Victorian Government’s $600 million program which aims to make Victorians safer.

On this page

The program aims to make Victorians safer by reducing the risk associated with combustible cladding on residential apartment buildings.

What is cladding and why is it dangerous?

Cladding is the outside skin of a building. It is used to provide thermal insulation and weather resistance, and to improve the appearance of buildings.

While there are numerous types and brands of cladding available, there are some types of cladding that is combustible and dangerous if a fire was to break out, posing a risk for building occupants, as well as the community more broadly.

Find out more information about cladding and why it is dangerous.

I’m concerned the building I’m living in has combustible cladding – what can I do?

If you’re a tenant in a building in Victoria and you’re concerned that your building might have combustible cladding, or you want to know whether your building is included in Cladding Safety Victoria’s program, please contact a member of your owners corporation or owners corporation manager. Your owners corporation will be contacted by Cladding Safety Victoria if your building was identified in the Statewide Cladding Audit and if it is eligible for the program.

If your building has been found to contain combustible cladding, and it is within Cladding Safety Victoria’s program, it is the responsibility of your owners corporation to let you know.

What steps can I take to reduce the risk of fire in my apartment?

It is good practice to be fire safe at all times, regardless of whether a building has been identified as having combustible cladding or not.

Find out more information about fire safety including practical tips.

Whose responsibility is it to maintain fire exits and other safety measures in my building?

Fire detection and alarm systems, fire doors, emergency lighting and fire hydrants – the safety features required in a building to protect occupants in the event of a fire are known as Essential Safety Measures (ESMs).

Your owners corporation has a legal responsibility for the maintenance of your building’s ESMs. If a fire occurs, well maintained ESMs can provide residents with more time to exit the building and lessen the chance of fire spreading. ESMs require ongoing care and maintenance which is also the responsibility of your owners corporation. If you have concerns about your building’s ESMs, please contact your owners corporation.

Find out more information about Essential Safety Measures.

How can I contact Cladding Safety Victoria for more information?

We’ve provided information on our website about the program, eligibility, funding and the steps to rectification, so we hope this should answer most questions. We also encourage tenants to speak to their owners corporation in the first instance should you have any additional questions about your building.

Get in touch with Cladding Safety Victoria:

Updated 1 June 2023

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