Why Melbourne books so many inspections
A big rental market
At the 2021 Census, 30.2% of occupied homes in Greater Melbourne were rented. Until now the 2-yearly check only applied to leases from March 2021. From 13 October 2026 it covers all of them, so plenty of older rentals are due for their first.
Old housing stock
Terraces from the 1850s to 1890s, Edwardian homes in Camberwell and Caulfield, and Housing Commission houses from the late 1940s to early 1970s. Homes built or renovated before 1990 likely contain asbestos, and switchboard backing boards are a common place for it.
Storms that reach the wiring
On 13 February 2024, winds and lightning cut power to about 180,000 United Energy customers in the south-east. In late August 2024, AusNet's longest weather event in over a decade caused around 93,000 outages, worst in Cardinia and the Yarra Ranges.
Defect notices on the service line
Powercor and CitiPower send owners a defect notice if they find a problem on the customer's side of the connection, such as a loose service hook or trees too close to the overhead line. The owner arranges the repair, then lodges a compliance form.
What a Victorian rental check involves
The electrician works to section 4 of AS/NZS 3019, the standard for periodic checks of an existing installation, and covers all the electrical installations, fixtures and fittings. Their record should carry their name and licence or registration number, the date, what they found, any repairs, and a report written to section 2 of the same standard.
The rental provider has to tell a new renter the date of the last check and any recommendations still outstanding before the lease is signed. From 13 October 2026 they must also keep records showing the property meets the minimum rental standards, and hand them to Consumer Affairs Victoria if asked.
If repairs come out of it, Energy Safe Victoria says to engage a Registered Electrical Contractor or a licensed electrician employed by one. Repairs get a Certificate of Electrical Safety; the check itself gets a report. Rental electrical safety checks goes through each step.
Buying an older Melbourne home
A building inspection isn't an electrical test. If you're buying a terrace, a Caulfield bungalow or a postwar weatherboard, a pre-purchase electrical inspection tells you whether the board has safety switches, how the wiring tests, and what needs doing first.
Ask the seller for any Certificates of Electrical Safety they hold. Owners and occupants can also ask Energy Safe Victoria to search for a certificate for free; its online search covers electronic certificates from July 2019 and returns the certificate number only. Pre-purchase inspections covers what to ask for.
Water, scorch marks or a burning smell? Don't wait for the inspection
If a storm has put water through the ceiling, or anything electrical is scorched, buzzing or smells hot, switch off at the main switch if you can reach it safely and leave that part off. Call 000 for fire or smoke. Then get a licensed electrician to check it before anything goes back on.
Questions to ask before the check
- Will you test every safety switch, and check insulation and earthing on each circuit?
- Will the report follow AS/NZS 3019 and show your licence or registration number?
- Can you rank the findings from urgent to can wait?
- If it's a rental, can you do the smoke alarm check on the same visit?
- Will you look at the service line and the point it attaches to the house?
What we'd book in Melbourne
If you let a property that hasn't had a check since before March 2021, we'd book it now rather than wait for a renter to ask. If you're buying anything built before 1990, we'd have the wiring tested before you commit, and ask about asbestos in the meter box at the same time. Keep every report together. The next electrician, and the next renter, will want to see the last one.
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.