A man accused of setting fire to Reid's Guest House on Lydiard Street in February has appeared in court without legal representation.
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Henock Eilala appeared via video link from prison briefly in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning.
He was muted by the court after talking on the link, at one stage rising from his chair, leaving the screen and not coming back.
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Magistrate Mark Stratmann ordered Victorian Legal Aid to represent Eilala by the next court date, September 29.
"There is an need for legal representation. It needs to move forward ... that to me seems essential," he said.
The magistrate has previously expressed concern over the man's capacity to provide legal instruction and noted in court on Thursday there have been extensive custody management issues for Eilala.
Reid's Guest House, which provided crisis accommodation, remains closed amid extensive damage - 50 guests and staff were evacuated to the Uniting Breezeway facility in Dana Street in the interim.
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