What your home needs, by build date
| Built before 1 August 1997 | Built after 1 August 1997 | Built or largely renovated after 1 May 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Standalone battery alarms are enough | 240-volt mains, with a backup battery | 240-volt mains, with a backup battery |
| Linked together | Not part of this rule | Not part of this rule | Yes, wherever more than one alarm is needed |
| Who fits them | You can fit battery alarms | A licensed electrician | A licensed electrician |
Where the alarms go
Fire Rescue Victoria says the law needs at least one alarm on each level of the home, placed between each sleeping area and the rest of the house. If the bedrooms sit at opposite ends of a single-level home, that means an alarm for each end.
FRV also advises replacing every unit after ten years. Look for the build date on a sticker on the side or back.
Does Victoria require photoelectric alarms?
We couldn't find an official Victorian rule that requires them, so we don't claim there is one. Victoria's fire services (CFA and FRV) say the number, location and interconnection of working alarms matter more than which sensor is inside.
Their recommendation is 240-volt alarms with a battery backup, or 10-year long-life battery alarms, linked so they all sound together. They also mention dual sensor alarms, which use photoelectric and ionisation sensing in one unit.
Renting in Victoria: two separate checks
From 25 November 2025, rental providers must arrange a smoke alarm safety check every year, for every rental agreement, whatever date it started. A faulty alarm counts as an urgent repair and has to be fixed or replaced immediately.
That's separate from the electrical safety check every 2 years, which covers all rental properties from 13 October 2026. A licensed or registered electrician does it to section 4 of AS/NZS 3019, and the rental provider keeps the record and tells a new renter the date of the last one. Rental electrical safety checks explains what's involved.
Consumer Affairs Victoria draws the line clearly: anyone can change a smoke alarm battery, but a hard-wired alarm must be installed by a qualified electrician.
What you can do, and what's licensed work
You can
- Change the battery in any alarm that takes one.
- Fit battery alarms, including wireless interconnected 10-year models, which Victoria's fire services say don't need an electrician.
- Press and hold each test button once a month, using a broom handle if you can't reach.
- Glance at the green light on a 240-volt alarm. If it's off, the alarm or its wiring may need repair.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Installing, replacing or moving any hard-wired 240-volt alarm.
- Interconnecting 240-volt alarms, which the fire services say an electrician must do.
- Repairs that turn up in the 2-yearly rental electrical check.
The certificate and the licence check
Hard-wired alarm work is electrical installation work, so ask for a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). Energy Safe Victoria says only workers it licenses or registers can issue one, and a contractor can't refuse to issue it for any reason, including a payment dispute.
Before anyone starts, look them up on Energy Safe Victoria's free registers: the Registered Electrical Contractor Register for the business, and the Licensed Electrical Worker Search for the person.
Our take
Find out when your home was built, then match the alarms to that rule rather than to whatever's on the ceiling now. If it was built after August 1997, the alarms need to be 240-volt, so get a licensed electrician to swap any that are near ten years old, and have them linked in the same visit if your home falls after May 2014. Landlords, book the yearly alarm check and the 2-yearly electrical check together where you can, and keep both records.
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.