INSTRUCTIONS FOR TENANTS:

1. USE THIS LETTER IF:

 you are writing to the LANDLORD
 and there is only 1 tenant.

2. FILL IN YOUR DETAILS:

 Fill in your details to replace [THINGS LIKE THIS] and [_______]
 Choose from the examples at A, or add your own, to replace [EVIDENCE].
This is to provide evidence of your financial situation.
 Feel free to add details about your own specific circumstances
 Feel free to delete sections that you do not want to include
 We suggest 25-30% of your income as a reasonable amount of rent to pay.

3. ATTACH EVIDENCE:
 Attach a copy of the evidence when you send the letter. See examples at A.

4. ATTACH TEMPORARY AGREEMENT:

 Attach a copy of your temporary rent reduction agreement when you
send the letter. It should be filled in and ready for the landlord to sign. You can
find an example temporary agreement on our website (tenantsvic.org.au).

5. KEEP COPIES FOR YOURSELF:

 Keep a copy for yourself of everything you send to the landlord including
your letter, the evidence and the temporary agreement.

6. DELETE INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLES BEFORE YOU SEND THE LETTER.

A. EXAMPLES OF EVIDENCE
 a letter from my employer about my employment being terminated
 a letter from my employer about my income and hours being reduced
 copies of my pay slips showing my income and hours have been reduced
 a copy of confirmation from Centrelink that I have applied for payments
 a copy of my Centrelink income statement showing my eligibility for
government financial support due to the loss of my job and regular income

1
[DATE]

[LANDLORD’S NAME]
[COMPANY NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[SUBURB] VIC [POSTCODE]
By email: [LANDLORD’S EMAIL ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME],
[RENTAL ADDRESS]: Rent reduction due to impact of COVID-19
I hope that you are going well during this strange and difficult time.
I am writing to keep you informed about my current circumstances and how they
have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my regular income has been reduced/suspended.
This has unfortunately affected my ability to afford and pay my rent.
I appreciate that you may be experiencing your own hardships due to COVID-19,
and I would like us to work together to try and find a fair solution.
I understand that the Victorian Government is offering land tax relief to landlords as
well as rent relief grants that are paid directly to landlords. In order to access either
of these, an agreement between us will need to be registered with Consumer Affairs
Victoria.
Getting an agreement in place as soon as possible would also help us establish
some certainly about the coming months.
What I propose is:
 paying $[_________] per week in rent for [________] months
 starting [________] 2020 which is when my circumstances changed.
 This amount represents [________]% of my weekly income and is the most
that I can afford.
While I acknowledge that this is not ideal, it does mean that you will be able to at
least receive some income from your investment and that I will be able to stay in this
home. I have assessed my current financial situation and based on that I am
confident that I can comply with this arrangement.
I am dependent on this reduction and ask for your compassion during a time when
everyone in society is struggling. I also ask you to take into account my history as a
good tenant when considering this request.
If you can please let me know your response as soon as possible, that would be
greatly appreciated.

2
I note that the new emergency laws passed by government in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic will allow me to apply for a rent reduction through Consumer
Affairs Victoria and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and to ask for the
reduction to apply from the time my circumstances changed, if I cannot get your
agreement.
I would prefer to come to an agreement with you rather than taking this sort of action
and would be grateful for any generosity that you are willing to show.
I am also aware that the severe financial hardship I am experiencing as a result of
the pandemic may allow me to give my notice to move out if I can no longer afford
the rent. But I would like to avoid this if possible and would like to come to an
agreement with you that will allow me to stay.
Evidence
I have included:
[EVIDENCE]
as evidence of the impacts of COVID-19 on my financial situation (see attached).
Temporary rent reduction agreement
I have prepared a temporary rent reduction agreement based on my proposal (see
attached). If you agree to this proposal, can you please sign it, and return it to me as
soon as possible so I may register the agreement with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Once our agreement is registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria you will be able to
rely on this to apply for a discount on land tax, and I will be able to apply for a rent
relief grant, which, if granted, will be paid directly to you as a rent credit.

I am happy to discuss this further so please feel free to contact me if you have any
questions.

Thank you very much for your time.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR PHONE]
[YOUR EMAIL]