Landlords will find it harder to increase rent or kick out tenants under contentious new reforms designed to make renting fairer.



With more than one in four Victorians now renting a home, the Andrews government will on Sunday unveil a raft of changes giving tenants more rights while cracking down on unscrupulous landlords.



Under the plan, agents will be required to advertise properties using a single price – rather than a range – and landlords will be restricted to increasing rent once every year instead of every six months.



They will also need a reason to end a tenancy – with the government scrapping the 120-day "no specified reason" notice to vacate – and will not be allowed to unreasonably refuse a tenants' request to keep pets or make minor modifications, such as installing airconditioning or picture hooks.

"More people are renting than ever before and for longer – that's why tenants need a fairer deal," said Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz.



The changes come after a lengthy review of the Residential Tenancies Act but are likely to prove controversial because they swing so heavily in favour of tenants.



While welfare groups and renters have welcomed a fairer deal, the Real Estate Institute of Victoria has warned that many of the reforms would unfairly penalise "mum and dad" investors who make up the bulk of landlords.

The government is pushing reforms to make things fairer for renters. Credit:Jim Rice

"What the government has failed to understand is that it is imperative that any future legislation balances the rights of all stakeholders – any imbalance in the market has the ability to cause a rental crisis," said REIV chief executive Gil King.

"The majority of Victoria's landlords are 'mum and dad' investors who are looking to fund themselves in retirement. Victorian landlords should be alarmed at the piecemeal introduction of these reforms by the government."