- Published:
- Friday 28 August 2026 at 2:21 pm
When someone breaks consumer law, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) can take action against them. And when it does, CAV tells you.
It's part of the regulator's commitment to transparency. Under its policy on publicising its activities(opens in a new window), CAV shares information about legal proceedings it begins, as well as the outcomes.
"Most businesses do the right thing but if someone engages in serious misconduct, Victorians want to know what's being done about it," says Director Nicole Rich. “We’ll continue to protect consumers from individuals and businesses who do the wrong thing.”
In the first half of 2026 CAV took action against:
- an estate agent, who was fined for operating unlicensed and mishandling client funds (Mark Reuben(opens in a new window))
- a conveyancer, who was banned for allegedly taking more than $350,000 in property deposits held for a client (Tintin James of Luxe Conveyancing(opens in a new window))
- a former estate agency owner, who was ordered to pay $600,000 for misleading and deceiving clients and potential buyers (former owners of Ray White Oakleigh(opens in a new window))
- a former agents’ representative, who was found to have mishandled more than $200,000 in bonds and payments from more than 40 renters (Daniel Cvetkoski(opens in a new window))
- a former estate agent, convicted for illegally transferring rental payments (Daniela Vella(opens in a new window))
- a company, which will pay over $1 million after failing to provide functional kitchen facilities for older renters in Victoria (Ingenia Gardens(opens in a new window)).
These cases show the importance of trust in property and rental transactions – and the consequences when that trust is broken.
CAV’s compliance work continues throughout the year, with further significant cases already reported and more matters underway.
To keep up with the latest news from Consumer Affairs Victoria:
- follow them on Facebook(opens in a new window) and Instagram(opens in a new window)
- subscribe to their RSS feed(opens in a new window)
Consumer Affairs Victoria is part of the Department of Government Services(opens in a new window) (DGS)(opens in a new window).
Updated