On this page
Who it's for
Check a site before signing a lease for a restaurant, café or bar, because what a site is permitted to do is decided before you take it on. The zone and any existing permit shape the hours, patrons and music you can get. Most operators find this out after they've signed. This is for you if:
- You've found a site and the agent wants a signed lease
- You're taking over a former venue
- You're turning a shop or office into a café, bar or restaurant
- You need late hours, live music or outdoor seating to make the numbers work
Not you? Already signed? Go to approvals to open a venue.
What we check before you sign a restaurant lease
- Zone and overlays — Whether your use needs a planning permit in this zone, and whether an overlay such as heritage affects works. In the commercial zones many food and drink uses need no permit for the use, subject to conditions such as floor area limits.
- Existing permits and licence — What has been approved before, and whether it helps or limits you. Old liquor conditions may no longer apply after VC286. → /planning-permits/liquor-conditions
- Patron numbers — How many people the floor supports. As a guide, Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) allows about one person per 0.75 m² of licensed floor area. → /liquor-licence/patron-capacity
- Music and neighbours — Who lives nearby, and whether you'd need an acoustic report or a noise limiter. → /planning-permits/live-music
- Car parking — Whether your use triggers car parking requirements, and whether you'd need a reduction. → /planning-permits/car-parking
- Outdoor seating and late trading — Whether footpath trading is possible, and whether the address falls in an area with late night licence restrictions.
Why the site decides the business
The planning permit sets the ceiling on what a liquor licence can ever be. If the zone or an existing permit limits your hours or patrons, no licence application will lift that limit. Changing it means going back to council, and paying rent while you wait.
We've run licensed venues ourselves and deal with council planners every week, so we read a site the way a council planner will.
Speak with Jacob
Principal. Twelve years running venues and working inside local government.
The first conversation is free.
Book a 15-minute call(03) 7064 8477We reply within 24 hours.
How it works
Done before you commit to anything.
- 15-minute call Tell us the address and how you want to trade. We fix the fee.
- Send what you have The lease offer and any plans, uploaded to your client portal, our online form.
- We check the site Zone, overlays, permit and licence history, neighbours, parking and outdoor options.
- You get a clear answer What you can trade, what you'd need to apply for, and what to ask for in the lease.
Make the lease conditional. If the approvals don't come through, you shouldn't be stuck paying rent. We tell you what to ask for; talk to your solicitor about the clause.
Fees and timing
A fixed fee, with the turnaround agreed to fit the agent's deadline.
- Site check
- Fixed fee, quoted before we start
- If you go ahead
- A new liquor licence is from $1,199 + GST (restaurant or café) or $1,599 + GST (other licences)
- Council and LCV fees
- Separate, set by council and LCV
What we need from you
A few details are enough to start.
- The site address and lease offer
- The date you need to answer by
- Your concept: food, drinks, hours, patrons, music and outdoor seating
- Any floor plan or permits the agent has provided
Questions
What should I check before signing a hospitality lease?
Check the zone, any overlays, the site's existing permit and licence history, and whether you can get the hours, patron numbers, outdoor area and music your business needs. Look at the neighbours too, because they shape music and late trading conditions. Then make the lease conditional on approvals, so you aren't paying rent while you wait. Talk to your solicitor about the clause.
How do I know if I can open a bar at a site?
Start with the zone, because it decides whether the use needs a planning permit. Since VC286 (1 July 2025) you no longer need a permit just to sell or serve liquor, but a bar may still need one for the use or for building works. Then check the neighbours, any old permit conditions and any late night licence restrictions. A site check answers this before you sign.
Can I make a lease subject to permits?
Often, yes, if the landlord agrees. Many operators ask for the lease to be conditional on getting the planning permit and liquor licence, with a date by which they must come through. We're consultants, not lawyers, so talk to your solicitor about the clause. We can tell them which approvals you need and how long they usually take, so the dates in the lease make sense.
How long does a site check take?
It depends on the site and how much history it has, so we agree the turnaround on the first call to fit your lease deadline. A former café in a commercial zone is quicker to check than a building with a long permit history or a heritage overlay. Tell us your deadline when you call, and we'll say whether it's workable before you commit to the fee.