Moving into a rental: an electrical, heating and smoke alarm checklist

Consumer Affairs Victoria says the rental provider or agent must give you two signed copies of the condition report, or one electronic copy, before you move in. You then have 5 business days after moving in to check it, change anything that isn't accurate, add your comments and return a signed copy. CAV also suggests taking photos at the start of the agreement, dating and labelling them, and attaching them to the report.

That window is the best time to check the electrical and heating side too. Do a walk-through in daylight, then again after dark when you'll notice dead lights and flickering. Anything you find goes in the condition report and, if it needs fixing, into a written repair request.

Before you sign, CAV says the rental provider must disclose the date of the last gas safety check and the last electrical safety check, along with any outstanding recommendations from them. If you'd like to see the full reports, a copy of the most recent check must be given to you within 7 days of a written request.

Checks are on a two-yearly cycle. Consumer Affairs Victoria lists a change from 13 October 2026 under which rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks every 2 years for all rental agreements. Every rental has also needed an annual smoke alarm safety check since 25 November 2025.

On or before the start of the agreement, the rental provider must also give you written information on how each smoke alarm works, how to test it, and your obligations not to tamper with alarms and to report one that isn't working. Keep it with your lease.

Find every alarm. The Building and Plumbing Commission says there must be one on or near the ceiling of every storey, and between each bedroom area and the rest of the house. Press and hold each test button until it sounds; Fire Rescue Victoria suggests doing this monthly, pressing until the alarm beeps three times.

Homes built after 1 August 1997 must have hardwired alarms with battery backup, and older homes can have battery alarms. Anyone can change a smoke alarm battery, but a hardwired alarm must be installed by a qualified electrician, so don't pull one off its base. If an alarm doesn't sound, is missing or looks old and discoloured, report it. CAV says renters must notify the rental provider if an alarm is faulty and must not remove or disable one.

Find the switchboard, which may be in the meter box outside or in a cupboard inside, and look without removing any covers. Since 29 March 2023, power outlets and lighting circuits in Victorian rentals must be connected to both a switchboard circuit breaker and a switchboard safety switch. A safety switch has a test button and '30mA' printed on it. Old ceramic fuses, scorch marks or a missing cover are worth noting and reporting.

Test the safety switch. Energy Safe Victoria's video on testing says safety switches should be checked regularly and that this applies to tenants as well as owners. Pressing the test button should trip it and cut power to the circuits it protects. Warn the household first, because it will switch off lights and power points. If it doesn't trip, report it as a fault.

Every rental must have a fixed heater, not a portable one, in good working order in the main living area. For agreements entered into from 29 March 2023, it must be energy efficient. Run the heater for twenty minutes even if you move in during summer, and run any cooling the rental provider supplied. Note noises, smells, error codes, weak air or a remote that's missing.

With a gas heater, look at the flame if you can see it and note any soot around it. ESV says all gas heaters can spill carbon monoxide, which you can't see or smell, so ask when the heater was last serviced. Check split system filters too. A dusty filter tells you the unit hasn't been looked after, which is worth recording.

If your agreement starts on or after 1 March 2027, the rental provider must also install energy-efficient fixed cooling with an outlet in the main living area at the start of a new agreement, so check what's there.

Go room by room. Rooms, corridors and hallways must have enough light to be usable, and renters should have artificial light at night. Try every light switch, and test every power point with a phone charger or lamp. Run the exhaust fans, rangehood, oven and cooktop.

Energy Safe Victoria says not to touch or try to repair a loose, cracked or broken power point or switch; cover it and have it replaced by a licensed electrician. That's a repair request, not a job for you or a handy friend. Electrical work isn't a DIY job, even small ones.

CAV's urgent repairs list includes a dangerous electrical fault, loss of electricity or gas supply, a hot water, cooking or heating appliance that has stopped, a cooling appliance the rental provider supplied that isn't working, a smoke alarm that isn't working, and a property that doesn't meet the minimum standards. Urgent repairs must be done immediately; other repairs within 14 days of a written request. The rental provider pays unless the renter caused the problem.

Report by phone if it's urgent, then follow up in writing so the time is on record. Describe what you saw rather than guessing at the cause, and attach photos.

If you've signed but haven't moved in yet and the property doesn't meet the minimum standards, CAV says you can end the agreement immediately without fees by notifying the rental provider, or move in and request an urgent repair.