What changes
Under the earlier rules, a rental provider who entered into an agreement after 29 March 2021, including a fixed term that rolled over to periodic after that date, needed an electrical check by a licensed electrician and a gas check by a licensed or registered gasfitter, each every 2 years. A long-running lease that started before then could go without either. From 13 October 2026 that gap closes, and the two-yearly checks apply to every rental agreement, whatever its start date.
What landlords with older leases should do
Start by looking for records. If a check was done in the last two years, note when the next one falls due. If there's no record, the simplest course is to book both checks now rather than work out exactly where your agreement sits. Consumer Affairs Victoria's rental pages are the place to confirm timing for your situation.
The electrical check is done by a licensed electrician and follows section 4 of AS/NZS 3019:2022. The gas check needs a gasfitter endorsed for Type A gas appliance servicing. They're separate jobs with separate records, and the annual smoke alarm check, required for all rentals since 25 November 2025, runs on its own schedule. Give your renter proper notice of entry, and try to line the visits up close together.
Older leases often mean older homes
A tenancy that has run since before 2021 has often gone years without anyone looking at the switchboard or heater. Expect the first check to find more than later ones will: an ageing gas wall heater, a cracked power point, missing safety switches. Since 29 March 2023, rental power outlets and lighting circuits have needed both a circuit breaker and a safety switch, so an old fuse board shows up quickly.
Budget for repairs. The rental provider pays for them unless the renter caused the problem, and any electrical repair comes with its own Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Services that can help
Read more in our guides
- A rental provider's maintenance calendar for safety and comfortA season-by-season plan for a Victorian rental: smoke alarm checks, two-yearly electrical and gas checks, heating and cooling servicing and changeovers.
- Gas safety checks in Victorian rentalsWhat the two-yearly rental gas safety check involves, who is allowed to do it, the records to keep and share, and how it fits with the electrical check.
Related questions
- How often does a rental need an electrical safety check?At least once every 2 years.
- What records should a landlord keep after a rental electrical check?Keep the electrician's written record of the check.
- Who is qualified to do a rental gas safety check?A licensed or registered gasfitter endorsed for Type A gas appliance servicing.
- Does a rental have to meet minimum standards before it's advertised?Yes.
Sources for this answer
6 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Consumer Affairs Victoria: Mandatory gas and electrical safety checks every 2 years for all rental properties Rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson every 2 years for all… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Consumer Affairs Victoria: Rental providers who enter into a new agreement after 29 March 2021, must have all electrical installations and fittings checked by a licensed electrician at least once every 2 years. This also applies to rental… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Energy Safe Victoria: The safety check must be conducted in accordance with section 4 of AS/NZS 3019:2022 “Electrical installations—Periodic assessment”. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.Consumer Affairs Victoria: From 25 November 2025, it will be mandatory for all rental properties to have annual smoke alarm safety checks to ensure they are correctly installed and in working condition. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Consumer Affairs Victoria: The electrical safety rental minimum standard commenced on 29 March 2023. Rental properties must have modern switchboards, with circuit breakers and electrical safety switches installed. Electrical safety switches are… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.Consumer Affairs Victoria: The rental provider must organise and pay for all repairs if they are not the renter’s fault. 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.