Rental electrical safety checks in Melbourne: what landlords need to know

What Victorian law requires

Under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, rental providers must have an electrical safety check of the electrical installations, appliances and fittings they provide done every 2 years by a licensed or registered electrician. If no check has been done in the 2 years before a renter moves in, it has to be arranged as soon as practicable.

Before a new rental agreement is signed, you need to tell the renter the date of the last check and any recommendations still outstanding. You keep the record of the latest check, and if a renter asks in writing, you give them a copy within 7 days. Consumer Affairs Victoria sets this out in plain terms.

The safety switch rule from March 2023

The electrical safety minimum standard started on 29 March 2023. Every power outlet and lighting circuit in a rental must be protected by a circuit breaker and a safety switch (an RCD, RCCB or RCBO) at the switchboard.

• Circuit breaker board, but no safety switches on power and lights. Usually the fix is adding safety switches to those circuits. Other circuits such as the oven, hot water or air conditioning do not have to change for the standard.
• Old fuse board. Ceramic fuses and older panels may not be able to take modern safety switches. Then the whole board may need replacing, and every circuit on it gets circuit breaker protection, including cooking, hot water and air conditioning.

If you are not sure what is in the meter box, a photo of the open switchboard sent through the quote form is a good start. Our post on when to upgrade a switchboard explains the warning signs.

What the check covers

The regulations point to the Australian Standard for periodic assessment, AS/NZS 3019. In practice that means a visual inspection of the installation plus limited testing. On a typical rental we look at:

• The switchboard: circuit breakers, safety switches, labelling and signs of heat or damage.
• Safety switch operation, so you know they actually trip when they should.
• Power points, light switches and fittings for damage, scorching or looseness.
• Visible wiring, and appliances you supply such as the oven, cooktop and rangehood.
• Smoke alarms, which have their own yearly testing rule (more on that below).

You get a written record that covers what the regulations ask for: the electrician's name and registration details, the date, the results, any repairs needed and what was done about them, and the report itself. Keep it with your rental paperwork, because renters can ask for a copy.

Smoke alarms: every 12 months

Separate from the 2-year electrical check, smoke alarms in a rental must be correctly installed, working, tested at least once every 12 months to the manufacturer's instructions, and have their batteries replaced as needed. If a renter reports a faulty alarm, it is an urgent repair. Hard-wired alarms need a qualified person to repair or replace them, which is everyday work on our safety and compliance jobs. Booking the alarm test with the electrical check keeps it to one visit.

When something fails

Failed items get explained in plain words: what it is, why it matters, and what it needs. You get a price before any work starts, and we fix it if you want it fixed. Typical issues are a missing safety switch on a lighting circuit, a damaged power point, or an old board that cannot meet the standard. A damaged or hot power point is not something to leave for the next inspection. Repairs fall under our repairs and faults work, and board work under switchboard upgrades.

All our work carries a 2-year workmanship warranty, and a Certificate of Electrical Safety is issued when the job needs one.

Property managers and portfolios

Agents and landlords with more than one property can send us the addresses and tenant contacts. We arrange access with the renter, do the checks, and send each report back so it lands in the right file. If a property has an ongoing list of small jobs, our maintenance visits handle them in one trip. We cover rentals across Melbourne, with Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula among our regular service areas.

Quick answers

Who can do the check? A licensed or registered electrician. You can look up any electrician on the Energy Safe Victoria public register. We are Registered Electrical Contractor 27575.

Is gas included? No. Gas has its own 2-year safety check, done by a licensed or registered gasfitter.

Do I need to give the renter notice? Yes. Entry for a safety check needs proper written notice under Victoria's rental rules, so book a little ahead.