Rental providers in Victoria are being reminded to comply with the new electrical safety minimum standards, which will take effect starting 29 March 2023.
Under the new minimum standard, rental properties must have modern-style switchboards, with circuit breakers and electrical safety switches installed.
According to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), rental providers should reach out to licensed and registered electrician to assess if their properties are compliant to the new standards.
“We encourage rental providers to engage an electrician early to ensure they meet their electrical safety obligations — rental providers are entitled to ask the electrician questions to help them understand what work is required to meet the rental standard and to ask for a second opinion if unsure,” REIV said.
It must be noted a safety compliance certificate issued by an electrician is required to confirm that any work has been conducted in accordance with safety laws.
Landlords and rental property owners must make sure that the property is already compliant with the standards at the time a renter moves in.
Meanwhile, renters can also request urgent repairs to make the property compliant.
The new standard applies to rental agreements that started after 29 March 2021 and those that started before the said date and rolled over into periodic agreements on or after.
Rental providers whose new rental agreements entered after 29 March 2021 but before 29 March 2023 have until the latter date to meet the standard even in the renter moves in prior to the enforcement of the new standards.
If necessary, renters can also request an urgent repair after 29 March 2023.
Rental providers will need to make sure that the rental property meets the standard prior to renters moving in for new rental agreements entered starting 29 March 2023.
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