For some residential tenancy issues, you must send a notice (eg. notice to vacate) to the renter (tenant) before you can apply to VCAT. When you send a notice, there is a minimum time you must wait before you can take further action. This period of time is set by the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 and is called the ‘minimum notice period’. Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) explains how much time you must wait before you can take further action. This may be sending a second notice or applying to VCAT. Use CAV’s tables to understand the notice periods. Then if you give a notice by mail, add the extra time for delivery. Find out more about serving notices from Consumer Affairs Victoria.