Electrical safety checklist for Latrobe Valley rental providers

Victorian rental providers must have the electrical installations, fixtures and fittings in a rental checked by a licensed or registered electrician every 2 years, keep the report, and tell new renters when the last check was done. The property must also have a modern switchboard with circuit breakers and safety switches, and smoke alarms tested at least every 12 months. The checklist below sets out each obligation, who can do it and what to keep on file for a rental in Traralgon, Morwell, Moe or anywhere else in the Valley.

These rules come from the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 and are explained on the Consumer Affairs Victoria gas and electrical safety page for rental providers. This page is a practical summary, not legal advice; check the current wording with Consumer Affairs Victoria before relying on it.

Which rentals do the electrical checks apply to?

Energy Safe’s residential tenancy guidance for electricians says the 2-yearly checks apply to all new agreements made after 29 March 2021, and to fixed term agreements of more than five years that roll over into a periodic tenancy after that date. If you have a long-standing tenancy in place from before then, read the rules for your agreement type and confirm with Consumer Affairs Victoria rather than assuming you are exempt.

The rental electrical safety checklist

Work through each line and note the date and who did it.

Item	How often	Who can do it
Electrical safety check of installations, fixtures and fittings	Every 2 years	Licensed or registered electrician
Check done when a renter moves in, if none in the last 2 years	As soon as possible	Licensed or registered electrician
Switchboard with circuit breakers and safety switches (RCD, RCCB or RCBO)	Ongoing minimum standard	Electrician engaged by the rental provider
Smoke alarms tested	At least once every 12 months	As set out by the manufacturer’s instructions; hardwired alarms installed by an electrician
Faulty smoke alarm repaired or replaced	Immediately, as an urgent repair	Electrician for hardwired alarms
Gas safety check (not electrical, listed for completeness)	Every 2 years	Licensed or registered gasfitter with Type A appliance servicing endorsement
Disclose date of last electrical check and outstanding recommendations	Before the renter signs	Rental provider or agent
Give a copy of the latest check to a renter who asks in writing	Within 7 days of the request	Rental provider or agent

Records worth keeping for each line above:

• Electrical safety check of installations, fixtures and fittings: the check report, until the next one replaces it
• Check done when a renter moves in, if none in the last 2 years: the report
• Switchboard with circuit breakers and safety switches (RCD, RCCB or RCBO): invoice and Certificate of Electrical Safety for any work
• Smoke alarms tested: test date and result
• Faulty smoke alarm repaired or replaced: invoice
• Gas safety check (not electrical, listed for completeness): the gas check report
• Disclose date of last electrical check and outstanding recommendations: copy of what was given
• Give a copy of the latest check to a renter who asks in writing: copy of the request and reply

What does the 2-yearly electrical check involve?

The check is carried out to the periodic assessment method in AS/NZS 3019, and the electrician’s report follows the report format in that same standard. In practice the electrician inspects and tests the switchboard, wiring, power points, lights and fixed appliances and notes anything unsafe or not working.

A point many owners miss: a Certificate of Electrical Safety is not the right record for this check. Energy Safe accepts its own Electrical Safety Check report, the periodic verification report form in AS/NZS 3019, or another report that shows the details of the check, the electrician’s name and the date. A certificate is still issued for any repair or maintenance work that comes out of the check. The certificate guide covers that paperwork.

If the check turns up repairs needed to make the property safe, Energy Safe says the rental provider should engage a Registered Electrical Contractor, or a licensed electrician employed by one. Our electrical safety checks page explains how a whole-of-house inspection works for owner-occupiers and buyers; the rental check is the same kind of work with a fixed reporting format.

What does the switchboard minimum standard require?

Consumer Affairs Victoria’s minimum standards for rental properties say rentals must have modern switchboards with circuit breakers and electrical safety switches installed. A board that already has circuit breakers may only need safety switch components added to the power and lighting circuits. An older fuse board may need replacing altogether. The rental provider has to engage the electrician.

For Valley landlords with older stock, this is often the item that costs the most. Board replacement is a bigger job than adding a few safety switches, and our switchboard upgrades page explains what a full replacement involves. If you want a price on bringing a fuse board up to the standard, request a rental switchboard quote with a photo of the board.

What are the smoke alarm rules for rentals?

According to Consumer Affairs Victoria’s smoke alarms and fire safety page:

• Smoke alarms must be tested at least once every 12 months, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Annual smoke alarm safety checks became mandatory for all rental properties from 25 November 2025.
• A renter who reports a faulty alarm must have it repaired or replaced as an urgent repair.
• Buildings constructed after 1 August 1997 must have hardwired alarms with battery backup, and a hardwired alarm must be installed by a qualified electrician.
• Anyone can change a smoke alarm battery.

The smoke alarms page covers placement and when to replace old units.

What changes for rentals from March 2027?

Victoria’s new electrification and efficiency standards phase in minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes from 1 March 2027 under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, according to energy.vic.gov.au. AusNet’s summary of the new rules says that from that date, if hot water or heating in a rental fails and cannot be repaired, it must be replaced with an efficient electric option such as a heat pump or reverse cycle air conditioning. Rentals also need energy-efficient cooling in the main living area at the start of a new lease, and existing evaporative cooling can count. There is no requirement to replace gas cooktops. Exemptions exist where compliance is impractical or costly.

The electrical point for landlords: a heat pump water heater or a reverse cycle unit needs a suitable circuit and board capacity. Checking that before the old gas unit fails avoids a rushed job. The gas to electric conversions page explains the board and circuit side.

What records should a rental provider keep?

Keep one folder per property, paper or digital, with:

1. The latest electrical safety check report and the one before it.
2. The date given to each renter as the last check date, and when you gave it.
3. Certificates of Electrical Safety for every repair or upgrade.
4. Smoke alarm test dates, and invoices for any replacements.
5. The latest gas safety check report.
6. Any written requests from renters for a copy of a check, and the date you replied.

Energy Safe’s guidance on tenants and renting laws says records of the checks should be kept and shown when asked, so a tidy folder saves time.

A local note for Valley rentals

Churchill’s early homes were mostly built by the Housing Commission from 1965, and Traralgon grew quickly with the power industry after the Second World War. A landlord with several houses across Traralgon and Morwell may find each one at a different stage: one with a modern board, one with half its circuits protected, one still on fuses. Booking all of them in the same round of checks lets one business plan the work and keep the reports on the same cycle.

This site does not inspect rentals. An enquiry here goes to an independent local electrical business, which quotes the checks and any repairs itself.

Next step: book the checks for your rentals

To get a quote for rental checks or switchboard work, put the following in the enquiry:

• How many rental properties, and the suburb of each (for example, two in Morwell and one in Traralgon).
• The date of the last electrical safety check for each, if known.
• What type of board each property has: fuses, circuit breakers with no test button, or circuit breakers with safety switches.
• Whether the smoke alarms are hardwired or battery.
• Any renter-reported faults outstanding.

Then send your rental safety check enquiry and say whether you want the checks only or a price for repairs too.

Send a job enquiry