Victoria: what rental providers have to do
Book the check every 2 years
A licensed or registered electrician checks all the electrical installations, fixtures and fittings, following section 4 of AS/NZS 3019, the standard for periodic assessment of electrical installations. The check was mandatory for agreements entered from March 2021, and from 13 October 2026 it covers all rental properties.
Tell renters before they sign
Before a rental agreement is entered into, the renter must be told the date of the last electrical safety check and any recommendations from it that are still outstanding.
Fill any gap straight away
If no check has been done in the 2 years before a renter moves in, the rental provider must arrange one as soon as possible.
Keep the record
Hold on to the latest check's record until the next one is done, and give it to the renter within 7 days if they ask in writing. From 13 October 2026, rental providers or their agents must also keep records showing the property met the minimum rental standards, and give them to Consumer Affairs Victoria if asked.
Get repairs done by the right people
If the check finds repairs are needed, Energy Safe Victoria says to engage a Registered Electrical Contractor, or a licensed electrician employed by one.
What the electrician's record should show
- The electrician's name and licence or registration number.
- The date of the check.
- The results, and any repairs done.
- A report prepared in line with section 2 of AS/NZS 3019.
The Victorian switchboard and smoke alarm rules
Since 29 March 2023, Victorian rentals have needed a modern switchboard with circuit breakers and safety switches on the power outlet and lighting circuits. From 25 November 2025, a property has to meet the minimum standards at the time it's advertised, so a non-compliant board needs fixing before the listing goes up. Annual smoke alarm safety checks are also required for all rental agreements from that same date.
Other states: the landlord duties we've confirmed
New South Wales: any electrical fault in a rental, before or during a tenancy, is an urgent repair. NSW Fair Trading recommends the condition report note visible hazards like loose or sparking power points, and the report records whether there's a working safety switch, which only testing confirms.
Queensland: if there's no approved safety switch for the power points, the owner must have one installed within 90 days after the tenancy starts. Smoke alarms must be tested and cleaned within 30 days before it begins. Western Australia: at least two RCDs must protect all lighting and power circuits, and a fault in the wiring or a fixed appliance has to be fixed by a licensed electrical contractor engaged by the landlord.
Tasmania: an owner can't enter into, extend or renew an agreement unless the power points and the wiring in the walls and ceiling are safe and supply electricity. ACT: a dangerous electrical fault is an urgent repair, to be done as soon as practicable.
Northern Territory: the Territory's earlier safety switch rules were replaced on 28 May 2026. The rule that remains says that from 1 December 2028, electrical work can't be done on a home, rentals included, unless an approved safety switch is installed. We don't have confirmed rental electrical rules for South Australia yet.
The landlord's part, and the electrician's
You can
- Diarise the Victorian check before it falls due, and file the record.
- Press the safety switch test buttons at the start of each tenancy and note the result.
- Treat any electrical fault a renter reports as urgent.
- Ask renters to report shocks, tingles, sparking or burning smells straight away.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- The 2-yearly Victorian check and its written report.
- Any repair the check or a renter's report turns up.
- Adding safety switches or replacing an old switchboard.
- Replacing hardwired smoke alarms.
What we'd do as a landlord
With a Victorian rental, we'd put the electrical and gas checks on the same calendar and book them together every 2 years, using an electrician who does rental checks regularly and writes a clear report. In other states, we'd still have the place looked over between tenancies. A scorched power point is far easier to deal with in an empty house than as an urgent repair with renters at home.
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.