Clandestine drug laboratory details need to be revealed to Victorian property buyers

Legislation introduced to the Victorian Parliament will see real estate agents prevented from concealing known facts about a property’s past, including if it had been used as a clandestine drug laboratory.

The new rules include if the property was the site of a murder.

Agents will have to disclose unfavourable facts about a property upfront without being asked by potential buyers.

Current rules require agents and vendors to make those disclosures when asked for that information.

The tougher laws introduced to the Victorian Parliament on Wednesday.

The Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019 will strengthens the existing requirement for vendors or real estate agents to disclose material facts about a property, and enable guidelines to detail what a material fact is likely to be (for example, a property’s past history as a clandestine drug laboratory or the site of a homicide).

“Families looking to buy also deserve to know whether a property was previously the site of a drug lab or a murder scene, and we’re ensuring that vendors and real estate agents disclose these important facts," Consumer Affairs minister Marlene Kairouz said.

“This is about improving consumer protections and restoring balance so that hard-working families can enter the property market with confidence.”