VCAT guide

What the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hears, how cases start, fees, hearings, rehearings and appeals, with links to official sources. Court Co-Pilot is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

What it hears

VCAT is a tribunal. Its case types include residential tenancies, goods and services, building and construction, owners corporations, planning, retail and commercial leases, guardians and administrators, powers of attorney, equal opportunity, review and regulation, and others listed on its website. VCAT notes that some matters can only be heard by a court.

How to start

Each case type has its own page and application, either online or as a form. VCAT first checks that the law allows it to deal with the dispute, then assigns a reference number, which is used in all contact with VCAT.

Filing and sharing documents

VCAT sends a notice with the hearing date, time and place. Parties share their application and documents with the other parties, and VCAT says a case may be delayed if documents are not shared. Planning, land valuation, and environment and resources cases have separate process pages.

Fees

VCAT has concession, standard and corporate fee categories. It charges application fees and, for many cases, hearing and mediation or conference fees. Online applications are paid by credit card. Some people are automatically exempt, and others can apply for fees to be waived, reduced or postponed.

Hearings

Hearings can be in person, by phone or by video. VCAT asks people attending in person to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Before a final hearing there may be a directions hearing, mediation or compulsory conference. It is an offence to record a hearing without permission.

Written reasons must be requested within 14 days of the hearing, or by the end of the hearing day in residential tenancies disputes.

Rehearings and appeals

A person can ask for an order to be reviewed and reheard: within 28 days of finding out about the order in cases about powers of attorney, guardianship or administration, and medical treatment and advance care directives, and within 14 days in all other cases.

An appeal is available only on a question of law and needs permission from the court that would hear it. VCAT says the process must start within 28 days of the date of the order. The court is the Court of Appeal for decisions of the President or a Vice President, and otherwise the Supreme Court's Trial Division.

Official sources

• What VCAT does: VCAT's role and case types.
• Case types: Applications by case type.
• When VCAT starts a case: First steps and sharing documents.
• Fees: Fee categories, amounts and relief.
• Concessions and fee relief: Exemptions and applying for relief.
• Types of hearings: Hearing types.
• On hearing day: Attending and written reasons.
• Reviews and rehearings: Rehearing time limits.
• Appeal a decision: Appeal routes and time limit.
• VCAT Act 1998: The tribunal's governing Act.

Sources, checked 2026-11-01.