What the record should include
Consumer Affairs Victoria lists four parts: the name of the licensed or registered electrician and their licence or registration number, the date of the check, the results including any repairs required and the action taken, and a report prepared in accordance with section 2 of AS/NZS 3019. If any of these are missing, ask for a corrected record while the job is fresh.
A useful record also names each switchboard and outbuilding checked, so the next electrician can see exactly what was covered.
Why a certificate isn't the check record
Energy Safe Victoria says a Certificate of Electrical Safety is not the correct form to record a rental electrical safety check. The certificate is a legal record of electrical work, and one must be issued whenever electrical repair or maintenance is carried out. So a check that leads to repairs leaves you with both: the check record, plus a certificate for each piece of repair work.
Keeping it easy to find
Keep one folder per property, digital or paper, holding the electrical check record, repair certificates and invoices, the gas check record and the annual smoke alarm check record. Write the date each one falls due next on the front page.
If an agent manages the property, ask for your own copies anyway. Agents change, portals close, and the records need to survive a change of manager or a sale. When the next check comes round, send the last record to the electrician beforehand so they can follow up anything that was noted.
Services that can help
Read more in our guides
Related questions
- How often does a rental need an electrical safety check?At least once every 2 years.
- Do older leases now need gas and electrical safety checks?Yes.
- Does a rental have to meet minimum standards before it's advertised?Yes.
- Do I need to be home for the visit?Not always, but someone needs to give us access to everything the job involves.
Sources for this answer
3 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Consumer Affairs Victoria: The electrician should provide a record of the electrical safety check, which must include: the name of the licensed or registered electrician who conducted the check and their licence or registration number the date… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Energy Safe Victoria: An Energy Safe COES is not the correct form to be used as a record of the electrical safety check. However, a COES must be issued if any electrical repair or maintenance work is carried out. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Energy Safe Victoria: A Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) – is a legal document issued by a Registered Electrical Contractor or licensed electrician to record the details of the electrical work they have performed. Accessed 30 September 2026.
General information for homes in Victoria. Every installation is different, so treat this as a starting point. Where this answer refers to Victorian safety or rental rules, the sources above have the current requirements.