In 2024, the Victorian Government announced plans to apply the rules for mandatory smoke alarm, gas and electrical checks to all rentals, regardless of lease dates. In Victoria, rental providers are legally required to check smoke alarms every 12 months and have gas and electrical appliances and fittings inspected by a licensed practitioner at least every two years. 

However, this report shows practitioners can cut corners with little oversight or transparency, leaving renters vulnerable and unaware of malfunctioning gas and electrical appliances and smoke alarms. The report finds that tenants are still at risk from faulty gas, electrical and smoke alarms despite stronger rules for mandatory safety checks in Victoria. The report calls for practical, low-cost reforms to strengthen renter safety and support compliance.

Key findings

• Renters remain vulnerable: tenants have little visibility over whether safety checks have been completed properly, with no central registry or oversight of practitioners.
• Quality varies: a major service provider conducted their own 'mystery shop' exercise of 21 safety checks at a single Melbourne property. This exposed widespread corner-cutting, rushed jobs and unlicensed practitioners completing inspections.
• No deterrence for poor practice: safety checks are not audited by regulators the way other gas and electrical work is.
• Data gaps: there is no way for government to be sure rental property owners are aware of their safety check obligations and changes made to rental requirements.

Key recommendations

• Establishing a rental property registration system to track compliance and improve commutation channels between government and landlords, especially those who do not use a property manager.
• Requiring completed safety check reports to be included with all new rental agreements.
• Introducing an accreditation scheme for safety check providers to ensure consistent standards and accountability.
• Extending mandatory gas and electrical safety checks to all Victorian rental properties, regardless of when the lease was first signed, delivering on a government commitment yet to be legislated in full.