The Victorian Government introduced vacant residential land tax (VRLT) on 1 January 2018 and the VRLT is assessed each calendar year. Please read on for important changes from 1 January 2025.
Prior to 1 January 2025, VRLT applied only to vacant residential land in inner and middle Melbourne. From 1 January 2025, VRLT will expand to apply to all Victorian homes that are unoccupied for more than 6 months in a calendar year, unless an exemption applies. VRLT also applies to homes under construction, and those that are under renovation or uninhabitable, for more than 2 years.
VRLT will not apply to any residential land in the alpine resorts of Mt Baw Baw, Mt Buller, Mt Hotham, Mt Stirling, Falls Creek and Lake Mountain.
You must notify the State Revenue Office by 15 January 2025 if you own a home that has been unoccupied for more than 6 months.
Click here for steps to notify the SRO.
VRLT is different from land tax. If you pay land tax, VRLT may also apply to you. The use of your property in 2024 – specifically, if it remained unoccupied for more than 6 months – will determine if you are liable for VRLT in 2025.
Are there exemptions?
Yes – some unoccupied homes may be exempt, such as holiday homes, a property that changed hands, and property that became residential in the prior calendar year.
Even if you believe your property is exempt, you still need to notify the State Revenue Office and apply for an exemption via the online notification portal.
You can learn more about exemptions on the SRO website.
What you need to do
If you own a residential home that was unoccupied for more than 6 months in 2024, you must notify the State Revenue Office by 15 January 2025. If you have made a previous notification, you only need to make a new one if your circumstances have changed.
To access the notification portal, go to sro.vic.gov.au/vacantportal.
Please call us if you have any questions or need further information
Give us a call to ask any questions about the VRLT. We’re here to help you. You can contact us on 9851 6500 or email us at hello@colledges.com.au for more information.
