What matters in St Kilda
Which St Kilda
Australia Post lists postcode 3182 for St Kilda, St Kilda South and St Kilda West, and 3183 for St Kilda East. There are other places called St Kilda in Queensland and South Australia, which this page doesn't cover.
Bins are in the rental standards
Victoria's minimum standards say rental providers must supply rubbish and recycling bins that are vermin proof, for example against rats and mice. If the shared bins have split lids, that's a fair thing to raise.
Gulls near the water
Silver gulls are native birds protected under Victoria's Wildlife Act 1975, which makes it an offence to harm them, as Greater Dandenong's council notes. On a flat roof, the answer is keeping them off, not dealing with the birds. Our bird proofing page explains it.
A coastal mosquito season
Victoria's Department of Health says coastal areas usually start earlier and finish later than the inland season of about November to April. Balcony pots and blocked drains are the ones to check.
Who's responsible in a rental?
Consumer Affairs Victoria says the law doesn't always settle this. Rubbish that draws ants, mice or cockroaches, or fleas from an untreated pet, can land with the renter. Pests already there at move in, or let in by something like a hole in the roof, can land with the rental provider.
Where a pest tied to the building makes the place unsecure or unsafe to live in, it's an urgent repair. When the two sides can't settle it, VCAT can decide. And Victorian rental providers can't ask for a pet bond, so watch for any end of lease wording that doesn't fit your agreement. Our end of lease guide goes through it.
Worth asking the agent or owners corporation
- Has anyone else in the building reported this?
- Who arranges treatment of the common areas and the bin room?
- If the technician needs into my flat, how much notice will I get?
- Can I have the treatment record, with the product name and any re-entry time?
What we'd do in a St Kilda flat
Put it in writing to the agent or owners corporation today, with photos and dates. That gives everyone a dated record of when it was raised. Then tell us what you've seen and your postcode if you need a pest business to look at it.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
