Tenants – Robert Hay KC Blog

February 2, 2026

Suspension of rent obligation where wrongful re-entry and tenant evicted

Where a landlord wrongfully re-enters leased premises and physically takes possession of the premises is the tenant obliged to continue to pay the rent? This question arises where a landlord re-enters the premises and the tenant disputes the landlord’s right to do so. Where the tenant obtains an interlocutory injunction enabling it to regain possession…

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November 13, 2025

How to ensure that terms implied by the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) into a “retail premises lease” do not appear in a renewed lease which is not a “retail premises lease”

My last post considered Richmond Football Club Ltd v Verraty Pty Ltd [2019] VSC 597 (Verraty) with particular reference to this question: Do terms implied into a “retail premises lease” by the Retail Leases Act 2003 appear in a renewed lease following the exercise of an option where the renewed lease is not a “retail premises…

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October 26, 2025

Understanding default notices given under a lease

A default notice given under a lease does not necessarily require the tenant to rectify the defaults alleged within the time specified in the notice The Victorian provision concerning default notices is s.146(1) of the Property Law Act 1958. Section 146(1) provides in part: A right of re-entry or forfeiture under any proviso or stipulation in a lease…

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October 17, 2025

Device to avoid Retail Leases Act not effective

Parties to long term leases sometimes attempt to avoid the application of the Retail Leases Act 2003 by purporting to invoke the Ministerial Determination of 24 August 2004 made under s.5(1) of the Act. The Act applies to a “retail premises lease” (s.11(1)) which is not a defined expression. However, the expression “retail premises” are defined in…

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August 1, 2019

“Jumping out” the Retail Leases Act – a clarification

Today I posted an article about Verraty Pty Ltd v Richmond Football Club [2019] VCAT 1073. I have had queries about paragraph (i) where I said: “where the commencing rent under a new lease does not exceed $1,000,000 for the first 12 months, before the lease is entered into the landlord should make an estimate…

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December 15, 2017

‘Ultimate consumer test” remains one of the indicia of the retail provision of services

The CB Cold Storage and IMCC Group saga has ended. This morning the High Court of Australia refused the landlord’s application for special leave to appeal. The consequence is that the Court of Appeal’s decision in IMCC Group (Australia) Pty Ltd v CB Cold Storage Pty Ltd [2017] VSCA 178 stands and practitioners can draft…

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February 9, 2017

Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) likely to apply where tenant provides a service

Where a tenant provides services from leased premises in accordance with the permitted use the lease is likely to be a “retail premises lease” and therefore governed by the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic). In every case it is necessary to identify precisely the service being provided, consider what activity is permitted under the lease…

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June 23, 2016

Controversy resolved – but more tenants under 15 year leases lose protection of Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic)

Leased premises that are “retail premises” within the meaning of s.4(1) of the Retail Leases Act 2003 are excluded from the operation of the Act where the lease term is 15 years or longer and other conditions are met. See: ss.5(1)(c) and 4(2)(f) and the Ministerial Determination dated 23 August 2004. The Ministerial Determination has…

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June 10, 2016

AirBnB guests occupied apartment under a lease

VCAT recently held that a tenant had not breached a lease by permitting users of AirBnB to stay in the tenant’s apartment. The landlord argued that the tenant had breached the lease by subletting the apartment in breach of the lease. The landlord sought possession of the apartment. The cornerstone of a lease is that…

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February 3, 2016

Unfair term provisions provide tenants with a new weapon

Tenants with less than 20 employees will soon have a new weapon in disputes with landlords as a result of amendments to the Australian Consumer Law: they will be able to challenge a term in a lease that is “unfair”. The legislation effecting the changes, the Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms)…

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