Why landlords and tenants feature so much here
At the 2021 Census, 1,395 Salisbury homes were rented, against 856 owned outright. When a power point dies or a safety switch keeps tripping in a rental, the tenant reports it and the landlord books and pays the electrician.
If a tenant feels a tingle from a tap, an oven or a wet floor, SA Power Networks wants a call on 13 13 66 straight away and sends a crew. If the fault is in the home's wiring, the repair falls to the landlord, and the power can stay off until it's fixed.
We haven't confirmed any South Australian rule that makes routine electrical checks compulsory in rentals. Plenty of landlords book one anyway between tenants, when the house is empty and easy to get around. Electrical work for landlords covers what to ask for.
What Salisbury's history means for its wiring
Built fast for war workers
The Salisbury Explosives Factory drew thousands of workers, and afterwards the government re-used 300 'temporary' prefabricated cabin homes built for them. From 1949 the Housing Trust's Salisbury North estate housed about 1,000 employees of a rocket testing project.
Houses, townhouses and some flats
In 2021, 61.3% of occupied homes were separate houses, 23.9% townhouses or semi-detached and 14.6% flats, with an average of 2.8 bedrooms.
Low streets flood
In March 1983 flash flooding hit Adelaide suburbs, with Bolivar Road in Salisbury North among the flooded streets. Water in a garage or laundry reaches power points and appliances first.
Hail and fire on the edges
Salisbury was one of the areas behind the 12,000-plus early insurance claims after the hail and wind of October 2021. RAA lists Salisbury East among Adelaide locations a bushfire could reach.
Questions for the electrician, if you own a Salisbury rental
- Does every power and lighting circuit have a safety switch, or only some?
- Is the switchboard original to the house, and is there room on it for an air conditioner or a new oven circuit?
- Can you test the outdoor power points and anything in the garage or laundry while you're here?
- Will I get the electronic certificate of compliance (eCoC) within 30 days, as the rules require?
- Which of the problems you found need fixing now, and which can wait for the next vacancy?
Where we'd start with a Salisbury rental
We'd use the next gap between tenants to get the switchboard and safety switches looked at properly, rather than waiting for a call about a dead power point. It's far less disruptive, and it means the next tenant moves into a house you know is safe.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.