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Neighbourhood complaints

We are committed to creating a fair and inclusive living environment for our tenants, residents, and the community as a whole. We have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination, or any form of threatening behaviour based on factors like race, religion, culture, sexuality and personal differences.

Our responsibility to the community

At MCM Housing, we understand that neighbours should be able to enjoy their activities without being negatively affected by our tenants or residents. If a community member brings a neighbourhood complaint to our attention, we encourage and support our tenants and residents to resolve the issues through open discussions with their and/or mediation.

As a registered community housing agency, we take our responsibility seriously. We are responsive to complaints and are accountable for our decisions and actions under the Victorian Regulatory System for community housing. However, we can only investigate complaints if they involve a potential violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. If the complaint you raised is not something we can address or if there is another service or agency better suited to handle it, we will guide you to the right pathway.

Make a neighbourhood complaint 

You can make a neighbourhood complaint using one of the following methods:

When making a complaint, it's preferred that you provide it in writing. If you're not using the Neighbourhood Complaints Pack, please include the following details:

  • Your name and address.
  • The details of the person or address you're complaining about.
  • A clear explanation or description of the complaint.
  • The specific date(s) or period(s) when the incident occurred.
  • If you have any supporting documents, please include them as well.

We will acknowledge the receipt of all the information you provide within two working days. Following this, we’ll investigate the complaint.  

Result of the neighbourhood complaint

When we receive a complaint, we want to make sure everyone's voice is heard. This means we'll talk to the tenant or resident who the complaint is about and give them a chance to share their side of the story.

If we find evidence that the complaint is related to a violation of the Residential Tenancy Agreement by one of our tenants or residents, we'll issue them a Breach of Duty notice, as required by the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. This notice gives them 14 days (or 3 days for rooming house residents) to address the issue and make things right. However, if we're unable to find evidence to support the complaint as a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act, we'll let the person who made the complaint know. We'll also suggest other ways they can seek support if needed. In these cases, we will close the matter.

Our goal is to resolve complaints within 30 days from the time we receive them. We want to ensure fairness and find the best possible outcome for everyone involved.

Escalate your neighbourhood complaint

If you have lodged a neighbourhood complaint with us and we haven’t resolved it within 30 days, you have the option to reach out to the Victorian Registrar of Housing Agencies (the Registrar) for further assistance.

The Registrar has specific responsibilities under the Housing Act to investigate certain matters. They mainly deals with formal complaints, but they also look into general questions that might highlight problems with how a registered agency is adhering to their legal responsibilities and performance standards. However, they don't get involved in rental housing issues that are already being dealt with in a court or tribunal, such as the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), unless there are concerns about them not following the performance standards.

If you would like to make a complaint to the Registrar, you can contact them via the following methods:

Application process

Need help?

If you have any questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you throughout the tenancy process.

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