The check is often where small problems surface: a cracked power point, a lighting circuit with no safety switch, a shed nobody mentioned. We check every room and outbuilding and send a written record, with repairs priced separately.
When to get it checked
Two years since the last record
Work from the date on the record, not the lease. If a change of agent or owner means nobody can find one, treat the check as due.
Items left open last time
The last record lists repairs, but no Certificate of Electrical Safety shows they were done. Assume they weren't.
Fuses or patchy safety switches
Ceramic fuses, or safety switches on the power points but not the lights, usually mean the board needs work to meet the rental standard.
A renter has reported a fault
A scorched power point or a safety switch that won't reset needs fixing now, not at the routine check.
Why it happens
4 common causes
Wear between leases
Furniture goes in and out with every change of renter, knocking power points near doorways and bedheads. Plugs yanked out at an angle loosen the contacts.
Small faults nobody mentions
A warm switch or a flickering light often goes unreported, and the owner isn't there to notice until the fitting scorches.
Quick fixes to get it re-let
A fitting swapped by a handyman during a turnover looks fine from the room, but there's no certificate behind it.
Renters making do
Powerboards plugged into powerboards, or a lead run out to the shed, show where the fixed installation is short of points.
What the job covers
What we usually do on this job. Your quote confirms it for your place.
- Previous record and open items reviewed
- Switchboard, main switch and earthing inspected
- Every safety switch trip-tested
- Power points and switches in every room
- Light fittings and visible wiring
- Sheds, garages and outdoor fittings
- Dangerous faults made safe on the visit
- Written record with licence number and results
Your options, explained
Routine check, property occupied
Low disruption- Best for
- Occupied rentals with a clean last record
- How it works
- We work around the renter's day and send the record afterwards. Repairs are quoted for approval.
- Worth knowing
- Power goes off in short bursts, timed with whoever is home.
Check plus pre-approved small repairs
Medium disruption- Best for
- Managers who want it closed out in one visit
- How it works
- You list the small items we may fix on the spot, such as a cracked power point. Bigger items are quoted.
- Worth knowing
- Fewer visits for the renter, and each repair is certified.
Vacant check before re-leasing
Low disruption- Best for
- Between renters, or before advertising
- How it works
- With the house empty, circuits can stay off longer and repairs are finished before anyone moves in.
- Worth knowing
- The simplest way to be ready before the listing goes up.
The people behind the work
Our own photos from jobs like this one. Family-run, based in Altona Meadows, with 19 years in the industry.
Licensed electrical contractor (REC 38187)See more team photos
Worth knowing before you book
- Send the last record
- It shows the due date and anything left open.
- Every room needs to be open
- A locked room or shed means a return visit.
- A record, not a certificate
- A Certificate of Electrical Safety covers repair work, not the check.
What affects the price?
The right scope depends on your installation. These are the details we check so your quote is useful, with any additional work explained before it proceeds.
Rooms and circuits
A one-bedroom unit is far less testing than a four-bedroom house with a sub-board.
Outbuildings
A garage, shed, studio or garden lighting is part of the installation, and each adds time.
Access and history
A labelled board and a previous record speed things up. A blocked board or a locked shed can split the job in two.
Pre-approved repairs
Small fixes approved in advance are added to the job. Bigger repairs are priced on their own, before we start.
How it runs
- 1
Book
Address, access contact and the last record.
- 2
Arrange entry
You or your agent arrange entry with the renter.
- 3
Inspect and test
Board, wiring, fittings and safety switches.
- 4
Record and quote
Written record, with repairs priced separately.
Step by step, in more detail
4 steps
Book with the history
Send the address, access contact, number of buildings and the last record, so open items get followed up.
Arrange entry
The agent or rental provider arranges entry with the renter. Testing cuts circuits briefly, so flag any home office, full freezer or powered medical equipment.
Inspect and test
Switchboard, main switch and earthing first, then every room, hard-wired appliance, shed and outdoor fitting. Safety switches are trip-tested and circuits are tested for earth continuity and polarity.
Send the record
You get the written record: what passed, what needs attention and how urgent each item is. Repairs come as a separate fixed price for the agreed scope.
What is safe to do, and what to leave to us
Safe for you to do
- Renters: report faults to the agent or provider in writing and keep a copy.
- Press each safety switch's test button every three months, as Energy Safe Victoria advises.
- Reset a tripped safety switch once. If it won't reset, leave it off and report it.
- Don't touch a cracked or broken power point or switch. Cover it and report it.
- Smoke, sparks or a burning smell: keep clear and switch off at the board only if it's safe. If there's fire, get everyone out.
Leave these to us
- Rental providers doing their own repairs. Energy Safe Victoria says unlicensed electrical work is illegal and potentially fatal.
- Filing a smoke alarm check, a safety switch test or tagged appliances as the electrical check.
- Leaving a reported dangerous fault for the next routine check.
When to get us in
- The last check was two or more years ago, or there's no record
- A lease from before 29 March 2021 has never had a check: all leases are covered from 13 October 2026
- You're getting the property ready to advertise
- Tingles from a tap or appliance
More detail
Where the rental check starts and stops
Energy Safe Victoria says the check covers all switchboards, wiring and fittings in the premises, so a powered shed or garage is included. The renter's own appliances and leads aren't, and nor is the gas side.
Keeping the paperwork in order
Any repair gets a Certificate of Electrical Safety, as all electrical installation work by a licensed electrician does. Energy Safe Victoria says that certificate isn't the right form for the check itself. File the record and repair certificates together, so the next electrician can see what was found and fixed.
Gas and smoke alarms run on their own schedules
Gas needs its own two-yearly check, by a gasfitter endorsed for Type A appliance servicing. Smoke alarms have an annual safety check, compulsory for all Victorian rentals since 25 November 2025. We can line that up with the electrical check, with a separate record for each.
Local rules and conditions
Victorian requirements and local conditions that shape this job, with the sources listed at the foot of the page.
The two-year rule widens to every lease
The two-yearly check has applied to agreements entered into after 29 March 2021, including fixed terms that rolled over to periodic after then. From 13 October 2026, Consumer Affairs Victoria says two-yearly gas and electrical checks apply to all rental agreements, whenever they began.
What the board needs since 2023
From 29 March 2023, all power outlets and lighting circuits in a rental must connect to both a switchboard-type circuit breaker and a safety switch. Energy Safe Victoria says circuits for hard-wired appliances such as ovens and air conditioners need not be on a safety switch when an existing board is modified. An old panel-and-fuse or federal fuse board may need replacing outright.
Repair deadlines and the advertising rule
A dangerous electrical fault is legally an urgent repair, and so is a property that doesn't meet the minimum standards. Urgent repairs are due immediately, non-urgent ones within 14 days of a written request. Since 25 November 2025, a rental must meet the minimum standards before it's advertised.
Useful reading
Guides to read before you decide, with checklists and questions to bring to the quote.
- Rental electrical and smoke alarm checks in VictoriaKnow which records to gather, how to arrange access and where to verify the current Victorian requirements.
- Landlords: heating, cooling and electrical obligations in VictoriaA rental provider's map of the heating, switchboard, safety check and repair duties on a Victorian rental, and what the 2027 energy standards change.
- Certificates of Electrical Safety explainedWhat a Victorian COES records, how prescribed and non-prescribed work differ, when your copy should arrive and why it belongs in your house file.
- How and when to test your safety switchesHow to run the push-button test at home, what an electrician’s trip-time test measures that the button can’t, and what to do when a switch fails.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this
- Do older leases now need gas and electrical safety checks?Yes.
- Does a rental have to meet minimum standards before it's advertised?Yes.
- 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.
- Do I need to be home for the visit?Not always, but someone needs to give us access to everything the job involves.
From the blog
- What affects the cost of a rental electrical safety check?Property size, switchboards, access and what the check turns up all change how long a rental electrical check takes. Here's how to compare offers fairly.
- What do rental electrical safety checks commonly find?Cracked power points, unprotected circuits, smoke alarm faults and hazards from renters' own gear come up again and again. Here's how landlords can head them off.
Sources for the rules and local facts on this page
14 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.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.
- 2.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.
- 3.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.
- 4.Energy Safe Victoria: This means that when modifying an existing switchboard to comply, RCD protection shall be provided to all power circuits supplying socket outlets and all lighting circuits. Circuits with hard-wired appliances such as… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Consumer Affairs Victoria: Anything on this list is legally defined as an urgent repair: burst water service blocked or broken toilet system serious roof leak gas leak dangerous electrical fault flooding or serious flood damage serious… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.Energy Safe Victoria: Rental providers must ensure an electrical safety check of all electrical switchboards, wiring and fittings in the premises is conducted every two years by a licensed electrician. The safety check must be conducted in… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 7.Energy Safe Victoria: Whenever a licensed electrician completes any electrical installation work, they must provide a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 8.Energy Safe Victoria: Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) – in Victoria an electrician must work for a Registered Electrical Contractor to perform work for a customer. A Registered Electrical Contractor must be registered with Energy Safe… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 9.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.
- 10.Consumer Affairs Victoria: The standard also requires an electrical safety checklist to be completed and any electrical issues to be addressed by a licensed electrician within 30 days before the installation of insulation. If the insulation… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 11.Energy Safe Victoria: Follow these steps to check your safety switch every three months: Press in the test buttons on each safety switch which will cut the power and trip the switch into the off position. You may hear a clunking sound. If… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 12.Energy Safe Victoria: Locate your electricity box outside your home and check whether the safety switch has tripped. If it has tripped, reset the switch. If the switch won’t reset, call a licensed electrician. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 13.Energy Safe Victoria: Do not touch or attempt to repair a loose, cracked or broken power point switch – cover it immediately and arrange for a licensed electrician to replace it. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 14.Energy Safe Victoria: Gas and electricity are inherently dangerous and it’s illegal and potentially fatal for unlicensed and unqualified people to undertake any electrical or gasfitting work. Homeowners and consumers must always use… Accessed 30 September 2026.
