Victorian Rental Electrical Safety Requirements: A Landlord's Guide

Victoria's rental minimum standards changed substantially in 2021, and electrical safety was one of the areas most affected. For a lot of older housing — particularly the pre-1980s stock across Melbourne's inner west — the practical effect is that a switchboard which was legal for decades no longer meets what is required of a rented property.

The two obligations that matter

1. Safety switches (RCDs)

Rented premises must have RCD protection. An RCD — a safety switch — detects current leaking to earth and cuts power in milliseconds. It is the device that protects a person, as distinct from a circuit breaker, which protects the wiring.

The critical point for older properties: if the switchboard is a ceramic rewireable fuse board, there is nowhere to fit an RCD. Compliance in that case means replacing the board, not adding a component to it.

2. Electrical safety checks every two years

Rental providers must arrange an electrical safety check of all installations, fittings and appliances by a licensed or registered electrician every two years, and must disclose to the renter when the last check occurred. If a check has not been done within the last two years at the start of a tenancy, it must be arranged as soon as practicable.

Keep the records. The obligation includes being able to provide evidence of the most recent check on request.

What a safety check actually covers

• Testing of RCDs to confirm they operate within required trip times — not just pressing the button, but instrument testing.
• Inspection of the switchboard, protective devices and labelling.
• Inspection of visible wiring, socket outlets, switches and light fittings.
• Checking earthing and bonding.
• Inspection of fixed appliances supplied with the property.
• A written report you can keep on file and provide to the renter.

A proper check is not a walk-through. It involves instrument testing, and the report should identify defects clearly enough that you can act on them.

What this means for older switchboards

This is where most landlords with older stock end up. The pattern we see constantly, particularly in Footscray and the older parts of the inner west:

• Original ceramic fuse board, untouched since the 1970s.
• No RCD protection anywhere in the property.
• Frequently an asbestos backing panel behind the switchgear.
• Often lighting circuits with no earth conductor at all.

That last one matters and it is regularly glossed over. An RCD is a significant improvement, but on a lighting circuit with no earth it cannot do everything it would on a properly earthed circuit. Where the cable itself is finished, a board upgrade is treating the symptom. We will tell you plainly which situation a property is in rather than selling you the cheaper job and letting you assume it is solved — see our rewiring cost guide.

Urgent repairs and who pays

Electrical faults generally fall under urgent repairs, and the rental provider is responsible. Worth knowing before an argument starts at nine at night — a tenant with no power is entitled to have it dealt with promptly.

Practically, the fastest route is usually for the electrician to deal directly with the agent for authorisation and billing, rather than a tenant trying to get a decision out of someone after hours. We do this routinely. See emergency electrician in Footscray.

Doing this efficiently across a portfolio

• Batch the checks. Scheduling several properties together is more economical than arranging them one at a time as each falls due.
• Track the two-year cycle. The obligation is ongoing, not one-off. Diarise it per property.
• Deal with the worst boards first. A property with a ceramic fuse board and no RCDs is a different risk from one that simply needs a check. Sequence by actual risk.
• Do the upgrade between tenancies. Far less disruptive than working around a sitting tenant, and the power being off for a day matters much less.
• Keep the paperwork. Check reports and Certificates of Electrical Safety. You will need them.

A note for renters

If you are renting and there are no safety switches, or no electrical safety check has been done in the past two years, you are entitled to raise it. Consumer Affairs Victoria sets out the process. If something is actively unsafe — burning smells, sparking, scorch marks, or a tingle from a tap or appliance — treat it as urgent, turn the power off at the main switch and get it reported immediately.

Written by the team at Litmec Electrical, licensed electrical contractor REC-10383, trading in Melbourne since 2007. Last reviewed 12 August 2026. General guidance only — every property is different, and our quotes are free.