Victorian Landlord Electrical Safety Check - What's Actually Required

Since the 2021 update to the Residential Tenancies Regulations, every Victorian rental property has been required to have an electrical safety check every two years, carried out by a licensed electrician. Most landlords we deal with - particularly first-time landlords renting out a former owner-occupied home in Brunswick or Richmond - are still unclear on what's actually required versus what some inspection companies up-sell. Here's the plain version.

What the regulation actually requires

The Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, Regulation 16, mandates an electrical safety check of all electrical installations, appliances and fittings provided by the rental provider, at least every two years. The check must be done by a licensed or registered electrician under the Electricity Safety Act. A written record of the check must be kept and provided to the tenant on request.

That's the entire legal scope. There's no specific 'AS/NZS form' mandated, but the industry-standard report referenced by VBA and Energy Safe Victoria is a visual inspection plus instrument testing aligned with AS/NZS 3019:2007 (Periodic verification of electrical installations).

What we actually test

1. Visual inspection of the main switchboard - corrosion, mechanical damage, missing covers, illegal modifications.
2. Verification of every RCD (safety switch) - tested under instrument with trip current and trip time recorded.
3. Continuity of every protective earth, including the main earthing system and bonding to gas and water.
4. Insulation resistance test on all final sub-circuits.
5. Visual inspection of every fixed appliance the landlord owns (oven, cooktop, hot water, air-con, fixed heating).
6. Visual inspection of accessible powerpoints, switches, and light fittings for damage, scorching, or illegal repairs.
7. Smoke alarm test under battery and mains power if mains-wired (separate to electrical safety check but commonly bundled).

What commonly fails

Across hundreds of safety checks we've done in 2025, here's the failure breakdown we see most:

• →RCDs missing on circuits where they're now required (most pre-2000 switchboards) - by far the most common fail.
• →RCDs that test fine on the button but fail under instrument trip-time test.
• →Missing or damaged main earth stake / bonding to gas and water mains.
• →Scorched powerpoints around appliances drawing high current.
• →Illegal DIY work - switches added by previous owners, light fittings rewired without permit.
• →Switchboards with ceramic fuses still in service (legal, but flagged as non-compliant with current installation standards).

What it costs

A standard two-bedroom apartment electrical safety check is around $220–$280 inc GST. A three-bedroom house with a separate garage or studio is $280–$380. Multi-property landlords get bulk discounting. If the inspection turns up a fail, we issue a quote for the remedial work on the same visit and can usually action it inside a week. The actual safety check is non-intrusive - no power outage, tenant can stay home, takes 60–90 minutes.

Smoke alarms - same visit, same regulation

Regulation 17 mandates annual smoke alarm checks and replacement of any alarm older than 10 years. Most landlords bundle this with the two-yearly electrical safety check - we test alarms during the electrical inspection and replace any that fail or are over-age on the same visit. Combined visit is around $40–$60 on top of the safety check.

Common questions from landlords

Does the tenant need to be home?

No. The agent or landlord can arrange access. We need 60–90 minutes uninterrupted and brief power interruptions (5–10 minutes) during testing. We coordinate with the agent in 99% of cases.

Is this the same as a pre-purchase inspection?

No. A pre-purchase electrical inspection is a different report intended for buyers, focused on identifying defects and remediation costs. A landlord electrical safety check is a compliance instrument. We do both - see safety for the full scope.

What if my last check was more than two years ago?

Book one now. The two-year clock runs from the date of the last check, and an overdue check is a breach the tenant can take to VCAT. Most agents flag overdue properties in their compliance calendar - if yours hasn't, that's a separate conversation.

Booking

We do landlord electrical safety checks across Melbourne metro and turn around the written report within 48 hours of the visit. If you've got one property or twenty, the process is the same - call us or use contact us and we'll arrange access with your agent.