Moving Into Your Investment Property in Melbourne: 2026 Guide
By Move Near Me team ·
Short answer: Moving into your investment property in Melbourne takes three steps, in order. If it’s rented, end the tenancy validly with a written notice to vacate and evidence, following Consumer Affairs Victoria’s rules. Book removalists only once the renter’s vacate date is certain. Then check your tax position with the ATO and tell your lender and insurer.
This guide covers three situations: moving back into a rented-out home, moving between your home and a Mornington Peninsula holiday house, and furnishing a holiday or short-stay rental. It ends with worked removal costs and a week-by-week checklist.
Moving into an investment property: which situation are you in?
Your first step depends on whether the property is rented, a holiday house you’ll live in, or a short stay you’ll let out. Each has its own official source.
| Situation | First step | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Moving back into your rented-out house or apartment | Give a valid written notice to vacate with evidence | Consumer Affairs Victoria |
| Moving into, or between, your home and a Peninsula holiday house | Plan access, parking and travel time at the beach-house end | Your removalist quote |
| Furnishing a holiday or short-stay rental | Check council registration and the short stay levy before you list | Mornington Peninsula Shire and State Revenue Office |
Can I move into my investment property in Victoria if it’s rented?
Yes, if you follow the process. In Victoria, a rental provider (or their immediate family or a dependant) moving into the property is a valid reason to give a renter a notice to vacate. The notice must be in writing and come with evidence.
What matters:
- Evidence is required. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a notice for this reason must come with evidence, such as a witnessed statutory declaration. A notice without the evidence is invalid.
- You can’t re-let straight away. The declaration includes a commitment not to rent the property out again within six months of the notice unless VCAT allows it.
- No-fault notices are gone. Victoria’s renting reforms started on 25 November 2025 and banned “no reason” notices to vacate. You need a valid reason, and moving in yourself is one.
- How much notice to give your tenant depends on your situation. Some notice periods were lengthened in the 2025 reforms, so don’t rely on an older article. Check CAV’s current notice to vacate table for the period that applies to you.
If the renter doesn’t leave by the date on a valid notice, don’t remove them or their belongings yourself. Possession orders come from VCAT.
When should I book removalists if a renter is moving out?
Book once the vacate date is certain, and leave a few days after it for the final inspection before your furniture arrives.
Use the gap for:
- Final inspection against the original condition report, with the renter or your agent
- Bond paperwork: the bond is handled through the RTBA; check its site for current claim steps
- Cleaning and repairs: carpets, painting, smoke alarm checks, or anything you’ve put off while it was rented
- Rubbish: renters sometimes leave items behind; see our guide to rubbish removal when moving
In December, mid-week dates are easier to get than Saturdays or the days before Christmas; see moving house at Christmas in Melbourne. Renting yourself as well? See moving out of a rental in Victoria.
What happens to capital gains tax when you move into your rental property?
If the property produced rental income before it became your home, the main residence exemption from capital gains tax may only be partial when you sell. This is general information only, not tax advice.
The ATO’s main residence rules decide how much capital gains tax applies when you sell. According to the ATO’s page on treating a former home as your main residence, a property that produced income before it became your home generally doesn’t get the main residence exemption for that earlier period, so any exemption may only be partial. If it was your home first, then rented out, then lived in again, different rules (including the “six-year rule”) may apply.
What to do now:
- Keep records of the date the property became your home (removal invoice, utility connections, change of address) alongside its purchase and rental records
- Try the ATO’s CGT property exemption tool
- Ask a registered tax agent about your situation
Lender and insurer: contact both when a rental becomes your home. Your loan and landlord policy were set up for an investment property, so ask them what needs to change, including moving to home and contents cover.
Moving into or furnishing a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula
Peninsula moves take longer than metro moves because of the drive and the access at the beach-house end. For a move from most of Melbourne to the Peninsula, the Move Near Me quote form suggests the “outer” distance band, which adds about an hour of driving between addresses compared with about 30 minutes for a typical metro move.
- Sloping blocks: houses around Mount Martha, Mount Eliza and Red Hill are often on hillsides with steps between the driveway and the door
- Long carries and stairs: beach houses in Sorrento, Blairgowrie and Rye often sit up from the street or down a narrow path. A carry over 25 metres is a $30 long carry fee, and stairs are $30 per flight
- Summer traffic: the Mornington Peninsula Freeway is busy from Christmas through January. A weekday in early or mid-December avoids the worst of it
- Buy locally or truck it down: when you’re moving furniture into a short stay rental or holiday house, our furniture removals Melbourne service moves it from your home, or from wherever you bought it, to the beach house. We don’t provide storage, shopping or styling
Furnishing a short stay rental? Check council registration and the levy first
Before you list a holiday house as a short stay, check two things: Shire registration and the Victorian short stay levy.
- Mornington Peninsula Shire registration: short-stay rental properties in the Shire must register with Council each year under its Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law and nominate a contact person. Check the Shire’s short-stay page for fees and what counts as a short stay.
- Victorian short stay levy: from 1 January 2025, the State Revenue Office applies a levy of 7.5% of the total booking fee to stays of under 28 consecutive days. A principal place of residence is exempt. Platforms pay the levy on bookings made through them; owners pay it on direct bookings.
How much does it cost to move into an investment property or holiday home?
The three example moves below cost between about $490 and $1,150 + GST. Move Near Me bills labour hourly from when the crew arrives at the first address until the last item is unloaded, plus a fixed 30-minute call-out, with a 2-hour minimum and 15-minute blocks after that. All prices exclude GST.
Our quote form estimates these three December moves:
| Move | Crew and team rate | Billable hours (incl. 30-min call-out) | Labour | Access fees | Total ex GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-bed house, Glen Waverley to Mount Martha, Wed 9 Dec | 3 removalists, 8 t truck, $170/hr | 5.25–6.75 | $892.50–$1,147.50 | None | $892.50–$1,147.50 |
| 1-bed furniture load, Brunswick to Rosebud, Sat 12 Dec | 2 removalists, 4.5 t truck, $115/hr (Saturday) | 4–5 | $460–$575 | Long carry $30 | $490–$605 |
| 2-bed apartment, Southbank to Carnegie, Wed 2 Dec | 2 removalists, 4.5 t truck, $105/hr | 4.5–6 | $472.50–$630 | Lift booking $20 | $492.50–$650 |
The Southbank example is an owner moving into their own townhouse after the renter has gone. The low end in full:
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Removalists and truck (incl. 30-min call-out) | 4.5 hrs × $105 | $472.50 |
| Lift booking (Southbank) | 1 × $20 | $20.00 |
| Subtotal (ex GST) | $492.50 | |
| GST (10%) | $49.25 | |
| Total | $541.75 |
The Rosebud load is billed at $115/hour because Saturdays add $10/hour. Transit insurance for the value of your goods isn’t included in our rates; tick the box in the quote form if you’d like it quoted. For how rates, fees and minimums work across all move types, see how much removalists cost in Melbourne.
Checklist: moving into your investment property, week by week
Start with the notice, book the removal only once the vacate date is certain, and keep your paperwork from move day.
- As early as possible: check CAV’s current notice table and prepare a valid notice to vacate with a witnessed statutory declaration
- When notice is served: note the vacate date; don’t book a fixed removal day yet
- Once the vacate date is certain: get an instant moving quote for a date a few days after it, preferably mid-week
- Holiday house: check the Shire’s short-stay registration and the SRO levy if you’ll rent it out
- 2 weeks before: tell your lender and insurer; arrange home and contents cover from move-in day
- After the renter leaves: final inspection, bond paperwork through the RTBA, cleaning and repairs
- 1 week before: book lifts, check parking and access at both addresses; tell us about stairs and long carries
- Move day: keep your removal invoice as a record of the date the property became your home
FAQ
Q: Do I need evidence to give my tenant notice because I’m moving in? Yes. In Victoria, a notice to vacate because the rental provider, their immediate family or a dependant is moving in must be in writing and come with evidence, such as a witnessed statutory declaration. Without the evidence, the notice is invalid.
Q: How much notice do I have to give my tenant to move into my property in Victoria? It depends on the reason and the type of tenancy, and some notice periods changed in the November 2025 reforms. Check Consumer Affairs Victoria’s current notice to vacate table before you serve the notice.
Q: What happens if I give notice to move in and then don’t? The statutory declaration includes a commitment not to re-let the property within six months of the notice unless VCAT approves it, so only give this notice if you genuinely plan to move in. Check Consumer Affairs Victoria for what applies if plans change.
Q: What records should I keep when I move into my rental property? Keep records of the date the property became your home, such as your removal invoice, utility connections and change of address, alongside its purchase and rental records. These matter for working out capital gains tax when you sell.
Q: Do I pay the short stay levy on a Mornington Peninsula holiday house? From 1 January 2025, Victoria’s short stay levy is 7.5% of the total booking fee for stays under 28 consecutive days, and a principal place of residence is exempt. Platforms pay it on bookings made through them; owners pay it on direct bookings.
Q: How much does it cost to move furniture to a Mornington Peninsula holiday house? Move Near Me’s quote form estimates a 1-bedroom furniture load from Brunswick to Rosebud on a Saturday at 4–5 billable hours including the 30-minute call-out: $490–$605 + GST with a long carry. A weekday move costs $10/hour less.
Ready to move into your own place? Get an instant moving quote or see our house removals Melbourne service.