VCAT wait times as at 30th August
VIC: VCAT has just provided an email update of waiting times, see below:
Estimated time to VCAT COVID-19 has impacted normal timeframes for residential tenancy hearings. Some cases are taking longer to schedule a hearing than usual. We prioritise cases that the renting laws say must be heard within a certain time, and those we consider urgent. For example, urgent repairs are heard within 2 business days, and applications involving personal or family violence are heard within 3 business days. It takes about 7 business days to hear cases about non-urgent repairs. Applications for possession due to danger, damage, or disruption are scheduled for hearing as soon as possible. Possession applications due to unpaid rent are heard in about 17 weeks, and most other applications for possession are heard within 4-8 weeks. We currently have a large backlog of bond and compensation cases. Some of these cases have been waiting for several months or more. We understand the impact of these delays on our users and are working hard to reduce the backlog. To help you resolve your dispute faster, we may invite you to a mediation facilitated by the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria. If we decide your dispute is suitable for mediation, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV), who partner with us, contacts you to discuss the process. If you have not already heard from DSCV or us, we will contact you as soon as we can take the next steps in your case.