Financial Counselling Victoria’s submission to the Regulatory Impact Statement for the proposed Portable Rental Bond Scheme supports the scheme’s objective of reducing upfront financial barriers for renters while highlighting key risks for people experiencing financial hardship. The submission emphasises the need for meaningful consultation on hardship guidelines, including the involvement of financial counsellors and consumer advocates, and calls for those guidelines to align with established best practice hardship frameworks. It also raises concerns about fees and debt collection practices, strongly recommending that any debts arising under the scheme be managed internally by government and not referred to external debt collectors. FCVic notes that the overall effectiveness of the scheme will depend on the strength, fairness and accessibility of its hardship settings.