Possums in Your Roof This Spring: What Victorian Law Actually Allows
Possums in your roof this spring: what you're actually allowed to do
In Victoria you cannot harm a possum, and you cannot relocate one. Both are offences under the Wildlife Act 1975, with penalties running to $9,246, and up to $44,380 under animal cruelty regulations. The only lawful long-term fix is to stop them getting in — which is why spring, before the roof fills up, is the right time to deal with it.
If you've heard thumping above the ceiling in the last week, you're early. That's good.
Why spring is the worst time for possums in Melbourne
Brushtail possums breed in autumn and spring, and joeys born earlier in the year become independent between September and November. When they do, they disperse — leaving mum's territory to find their own, which in suburban Melbourne means moving down the street and testing every roofline they pass.
Wildlife Victoria reports possums as one of the most commonly reported species to its Emergency Response Service during spring, as animals become more active raising young.
A brushtail needs a gap of about seven centimetres to get into a roof cavity. A lifted tile, a gap behind a fascia, a broken eave vent — that's all it takes.
Can I trap a possum in Victoria?
Almost always, no.
The narrow exception: a common brushtail possum living inside a building may be trapped by the owner or occupier, their immediate family, building management staff, or a licensed wildlife controller. Ringtail possums cannot be trapped at all without a permit.
Even within that exception, the rules are strict.
The trap must be an injury-proof cage with mesh under 19mm
It must be checked within two hours of sunrise
The possum must be released on the same property, within 50 metres of where it was caught, after sunset on the same day
That last rule catches most people out. You cannot take a possum to a park, a reserve, or "somewhere out near the bush." Relocation is prohibited outright.
And if release on the property isn't reasonably possible, the animal must be euthanised by a registered vet within 24 hours — at the trapper's expense.
Why the 50-metre rule exists
It isn't bureaucracy. It's because relocation kills possums.
A Deakin University study tracked twelve radio-collared brushtail possums after relocation. Only two were still alive after ten weeks. Four were taken by predators, two died of stress, and one was hit by a car — most of that in the first week alone.
Relocated possums land in territory already held by other possums, with no known food sources, no shelter and no escape routes. They rarely last.
So what actually works?
The Victorian Government's own recommended approach is physical, not chemical and not lethal:
Seal the entry points. Do it at night, once you're certain the animal has gone out to feed — otherwise you trap it inside, which is both cruel and a much bigger problem. Roof work is a roofer's job, and worth paying for properly.
Fit a one-way flap. It lets the possum leave and stops it returning, which handles the sequencing problem for you.
Give it somewhere better to go. A nest box on a nearby tree works because possums are territorial — a resident possum in a box tends to keep others out of your roof and garden.
Stop the highway. This is the one most people miss. Possums travel along fence tops, rails, pergola beams and carport structures to get from tree to roof. Interrupt that route and your roofline stops being reachable in the first place.
Not sure which route they're using? A free 15-minute doorstep check will tell you. We walk the fence line with you, show you where they're crossing, and price the fix on the spot. Book a free doorstep check →
What Safehaus does — and doesn't
We fit physical possum and bird deterrents to the routes possums actually use: fence capping, rails, gates, pergola beams, bin store roofs and carport edges. Australian-made galvanised steel, screw-fixed rather than glued, colour-matched to Colorbond on request. Nothing is poisoned, trapped, handled or relocated — the animal finds the route uncomfortable and goes elsewhere. No permit is engaged and no pesticide licence is involved, because no pesticide is used.
While we're there, most people get the rest of the outside sorted in the same visit — side gates, fence toppers, locks and lighting are the same trip and the same trade. The more we do in one go, the cheaper each item gets.
We install at ground and single-storey height only, and never during active nesting.
We don't do roof entry sealing, one-way flaps or possum removal — that's roof access work and it belongs with a roofer or a licensed wildlife controller. If that's what your property needs, we'll tell you rather than sell you something that doesn't fix it.
Prices are published: $195 for the first 1.2 metres, $95 per 1.2 metres after that, colour-matched runs $25 more per section. Commercial and strata sites are priced per lineal metre.
If it's a rental property
A possum in the roof of a Victorian rental isn't just a nuisance — roof damage, chewed wiring, soaked insulation and ceiling staining all fall inside a rental provider's repair and maintenance obligations. And with mandatory record-keeping starting 13 October 2026, "we dealt with it eventually" is a weaker position than a dated invoice and completion photographs.
If you manage rentals in Melbourne's east or south-east, spring is the cheapest time to deal with this. Autumn is the expensive one.
More on the compliance side: what changes for Victorian landlords on 13 October 2026, and our rental compliance services and published prices.
The short version
You can't harm a possum in Victoria, and you can't relocate one
Trapping is limited to brushtails inside buildings, with release within 50 metres the same night
Penalties run to $9,246, or $44,380 under cruelty regulations
Relocation doesn't work — only 2 of 12 relocated possums survived ten weeks in the Deakin study
The fix is physical: seal the roof, and cut off the fence-line route that gets them there
Spring dispersal starts in September. A deterrent run fitted in August costs a fraction of a roof repair in May.
Get it sorted before September
Book a free 15-minute doorstep check. We'll walk the fence lines, rails and structures around your place, show you the route they're using, and leave you an itemised price in writing before we go. No call-out fee, no obligation — and if your place doesn't need anything, we'll say so.
Book a free doorstep check → · Call or text Keith on 0451 177 610
Deterrent runs from $195 fitted.See all published prices →
Safehaus · Melbourne metro · National Police Check · Public Liability insured
Brushtail possums travel fence tops, rails and beams to reach a roofline. Cut off the route and the roof stops being reachable.