From regulation to reality: Socio-spatial inequality of rental housing standards compliance in Victoria, Australia

Rental housing plays an increasingly vital role in urban and regional housing systems worldwide, particularly amid growing affordability pressures and declining homeownership rates. In Australia, the private rental sector now accommodates nearly one-quarter of all households, reflecting demographic shifts and sustained market constraints. Yet despite its scale and importance, the quality and safety of rental housing remain uneven, with mounting concerns about compliance with legal minimum standards. Ensuring rental housing quality not only improves living conditions but also contributes to property value and broader community well-being. However, persistent non-compliance continues to undermine regulatory efforts to provide safe and fair housing. In this study, we examine the 14 minimum standards defined by the Victorian State Government for rental property management through a socio-spatial lens. Using audit data from more than 11,000 property inspections across Victoria, we integrate compliance records with geographic and socio-economic indexes to assess spatial and social disparities across suburbs. Our findings show that overall compliance has declined in recent years, falling below 40% in early 2024. We also identify significant variation in compliance by location and agency, with suburbs in lower socio-economic areas less likely to meet critical standards. Through exploratory data analytics, we demonstrate how integrated datasets can support evidence-based regulation, promote transparency, and guide targeted policy interventions. Our results highlight the need for a data-driven, equity-focused approach to rental housing governance, especially in under-resourced and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. • Rental compliance in Victoria fell from 76% to 40% between 2021 and 2024. • Compliance rates vary widely by region, socio-economic status, and agency. • Probit models show agency scale and SEIFA strongly affect compliance. • Results support equity-focused reforms to improve rental housing quality