Regulations

For most of the life of a rental property, a broken heater is a maintenance job. You replace it with something similar, the tenant gets their heating back, and everyone moves on. From 1 March 2027 in Victoria, that stops being true.

What actually changes

Victoria's new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards apply to rental properties, come in from 1 March 2027, and roll out in stages. The most useful way to hold them in your head is by what sets each one off, because that decides what you can act on today and what you can only prepare for.

  • Absence-triggered — heating and cooling. The property does not have it, so it needs it. You can audit this now.
  • Failure-triggered — heating and hot water. Only on breakdown. Nobody rips out a working system, and nobody can predict when one will fail.
  • Lease-triggered — cooling, shower heads, ceiling insulation. At a new rental agreement or a conversion to month-to-month.
Heating and hot water

When a fixed gas heater or gas hot water service fails and cannot be repaired after 1 March 2027, the replacement has to be an efficient electric system. Gas cannot be replaced with gas.

For heating that means a reverse-cycle air conditioner or heat pump rated 2 stars or better for the climate zone, or ducted electric with a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor of 3.2 or above. For hot water it means a heat pump or electric-boosted solar system meeting a minimum 3.5 energy factor.

There is no forced retrofit. A working system can stay. The rule only applies at the point it permanently fails.

Cooling, shower heads and insulation

From 1 March 2027, at the start of a new lease or a conversion to month-to-month, three things apply: efficient fixed cooling in the main living area, 4-star WELS shower heads throughout, and ceiling insulation to R5.0 where none currently exists.

Cooling then applies to every rental home from 1 July 2030, whether or not a new lease has been signed. Draught proofing of external doors, windows and unsealed wall vents follows from 1 July 2027.

Why the timing matters more than the rule

The rule itself is straightforward. The problem is that appliances do not fail on a schedule.

A gas heater that gives out in February 2027 can be replaced with another gas heater. The same heater failing in April 2027 has to be replaced with an electric system, which means a different installation, a different cost, and in some properties an electrical upgrade before the new unit can go in.

The landlord does not get to choose which of those they get. The appliance chooses.

Insulation works the same way and is even clearer. Installed before 1 March 2027 it can meet a lower specification. After that date it must be R5.0 and a qualified electrician has to complete a ceiling space safety check first. Waiting is not free. It is deferred and dearer.

A failure is an urgent repair

Under Victorian rental law, a hot water or heating appliance that stops working is an urgent repair. If the renter cannot reach the rental provider or agent, they can arrange the repair themselves for up to $2,500, and the rental provider has seven days from written notice to reimburse them. After March 2027 that repair, if it is a replacement, has to be electric — arranged by the renter, at emergency rates, with no say over the system.

What "end of life" means on a service report

If you manage properties we service, you will have seen end-of-life flags on our reports. That flag is not a prediction that an appliance will fail next week. It means the unit is showing real wear and that failure is a realistic prospect rather than a distant one.

Until now that flag has been useful but easy to defer. Most landlords wait, and until now waiting has been a reasonable call. The 1 March 2027 date is what changes the maths on waiting.

The question worth putting to a landlord

Not every property needs the same answer. A landlord selling in eighteen months, a property with a vacancy coming up, and a property with no cooling at all are three different conversations.

The useful question is a simple one: if this appliance failed tomorrow, would you be comfortable with the cost, the timeline and the disruption to the tenant of replacing it?

If the answer is no, a vacancy before March 2027 is probably the best window they will get.

Exemptions are more common than owners expect

Each standard has its own exemptions, and several recur. Centralised heating, cooling or hot water in apartment buildings. Heritage restrictions. Owners corporation rules that prevent an installation. Physical constraints where there is no space or no safe access. Plumbing that cannot take a 4-star shower head.

Worth checking before assuming a property needs work.

Rebates

Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discounts apply to a planned replacement, and they are available now: up to $1,610 on a reverse-cycle system and up to $560 on a heat pump hot water system, applied to the quote by an accredited provider before work starts. A working gas appliance being replaced early still qualifies. The amounts are indicative and set per quote.

The discount does not disappear if the appliance fails after March 2027 — an electric replacement still qualifies. What is lost is the gas option, and any control over timing and price.

What to do now

Audit the absence-triggered items first, because they are the ones you can check today: no fixed heating in the main living area, no cooling, no ceiling insulation. Then identify which heating and hot water systems are old, so a replacement is a planned conversation rather than a Friday night one. Then map which leases are due to turn over before March 2027.

To work out whether a particular appliance should be replaced now, planned for, or left alone, we built an online check for any gas heater or hot water service. It asks a few quick questions and gives a recommendation for that property: detectorinspector.com.au/gas-appliance-2027-tool

Sources

Since November 2025, a Victorian rental property has had to meet the rental minimum standards before it can be advertised or offered for rent. From 13 October 2026, that changes shape. You will also need to be able to show it did.

What changes on 13 October 2026

Consumer Affairs Victoria has confirmed several changes taking effect on that date. Three of them matter for compliance:

  • Record keeping. Rental providers must keep records sufficient to show the property was compliant with the rental minimum standards when it was advertised or offered for rent.
  • Gas and electrical safety checks apply to every tenancy. The two-yearly checks are not new, but until now they have only applied where the rental agreement was entered into on or after 29 March 2021. From 13 October 2026 that condition goes. It will not matter when the agreement was signed.
  • A gas check before draught proofing. Where a property has gas appliances, a licensed gasfitter must check it within the six months before the work. See below — the detail catches people out.
The properties that have never had a check

The gas and electrical change is easy to read past, because the checks themselves are familiar. The detail that matters is which properties they have not been reaching.

A renter who signed in 2018 and has stayed on the same unrenewed agreement has never triggered the requirement. Neither has anyone else on a pre-March-2021 agreement that was never renewed. Those properties are not behind on their checks in any technical sense. They have simply never been in scope, and on 13 October 2026 they all arrive at once.

That is the population worth identifying now, because it will not appear on any overdue report.

Who checks, and how often

Consumer Affairs Victoria's Renting Taskforce became a permanent part of CAV on 31 August 2026, with expanded resources including more inspectors and lawyers. It is not a temporary programme winding down.

Since 2024 it has assessed more than 2,600 rental property cases, inspected more than 600 properties for minimum standards, issued more than 250 official warnings, and issued 130 infringements totalling more than $900,000. Properties not meeting the minimum standards sit at the top of what it looks for.

Letting a renter move into a property that does not meet the standards is a criminal offence in Victoria, with maximum penalties past $11,000 for an individual and $59,000 for a company. From early 2027 the Victorian Renter Rights Program more than doubles the renters supported each year, to over 25,000.

The shift is from doing the work to proving it

The minimum standards themselves are not new, and neither is the requirement to meet them at the point of advertising. What is new is that meeting them quietly is no longer sufficient. If a property's compliance is questioned, there needs to be a record that answers the question.

That is a different kind of problem from arranging a service. It is a filing problem, and it tends to surface at the worst possible moment: a dispute, a VCAT matter, or a renter asking a reasonable question the agency cannot answer quickly.

What "records sufficient to show" means in practice

Consumer Affairs Victoria has not published a prescribed format. In the absence of one, the sensible reading is that a record should make three things clear without further explanation:

  • What was checked, against which standard.
  • When it was checked, with a date that sits before the property was advertised.
  • Who checked it, and that they were qualified to.

A service report that carries all three is evidence. A calendar entry saying an electrician attended is not.

The gas check before draught proofing, and the trap in it

Sealing a home changes its airflow, and some gas appliances draw air from the room in order to burn safely. That is why the order is fixed in law: where there are gas appliances, a licensed or registered gasfitter must check the property for gas ventilation safety before any draught proofing begins.

The detail that catches people out is the window. The check has to have been done in the six months before the work. A two-year gas safety certificate with 18 months still to run is perfectly valid, and no use for this. A check done in March 2026 does not cover draught proofing carried out in mid-2027, even though the certificate itself does not expire until 2028.

The practical rule is to book the gas check close to the draught proofing rather than whenever the certificate falls due, so the property pays for one visit instead of two.

If the check finds an un-flued or open-flued gas appliance, the property is exempt from draught proofing until that appliance is dealt with. Keep proof that the exemption applies — the obligation to hold evidence covers exemptions too.

Draught proofing itself does not start until 1 July 2027, at a new lease or a conversion to month-to-month. The gas check requirement lands earlier, on 13 October 2026, which is why it is worth knowing now rather than in the middle of scheduling the work.

Assessing the standards themselves

A gas or electrical safety check produces a record for that service. The minimum standards are broader, and since 25 November 2025 an agent has needed a reasonable belief that a property complies before advertising it — which is the belief the 13 October record-keeping obligation asks you to evidence.

That is what Properly is for. Your team captures the property during a visit they are already making, guided by workflows that record what is required. Our assessors review the footage and issue a report against the standards, so the evidence exists before the listing goes up rather than after someone asks for it.

What to do between now and October

Three things are worth doing before the date rather than after it.

  • Identify properties on rental agreements entered before 29 March 2021 that have never been renewed. These are the ones coming into scope for the first time.
  • Check that compliance records are held somewhere you can retrieve them by property, not scattered across inboxes and portals.
  • Look at any property likely to be advertised in late 2026. Its records need to be in order before it is listed, not after.

Every service we complete produces a dated compliance record showing what was checked, when, and by whom. If you are unsure what your portfolio can currently evidence, that is the conversation worth having now.

Sources

Queensland’s smoke alarm laws are changing from 1 January 2027, requiring all owner-occupied homes to have upgraded, interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms. This follows the same standards rental properties have needed to comply with since 2022.

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What are the new requirements for owner-occupiers?

From 1 January 2027, all Queensland dwellings—including homes, townhouses, units must have smoke alarms that are:

  • Photoelectric (AS 3786-2014)
  • Hardwired and installed by a licensed electrician (e.g. 240v) to the mains power supply with a secondary power source (i.e. non-removable 10-year battery) or;
  • Powered by a non-removable 10-year battery
  • Installed in every bedroom, in hallways that connect bedrooms, and on every storey
  • Interconnected so all alarms sound together when any one is triggered
  • Fully operational when tested

All registered caravans and motorhomes must also be fitted with a photoelectric smoke alarm.

Find our summary of the detailed legislation here.

Staged rollout of the requirements

The legislation introduced these requirements in stages for different dwelling types under the Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulation 2016:

  • From 1 January 2017 – all new and substantially renovated dwellings (including building applications submitted from this date)
  • From 1 January 2022 – all domestic dwellings that are leased or sold
  • From 1 January 2027 – applies to all other owner-occupied dwellings

We have a breakdown for QLD landlords and sellers obligations here.

Why are smoke alarms important?

Compliant, interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms provide early warning that can help save lives. In 2024 alone, Queensland families experienced more than 1,600 house fires. Over the past 25 years, the state has averaged around 10 residential fire-related deaths each year. Research shows that more than one-third of home fire fatalities occur in homes without smoke alarms, and that the risk of dying in a house fire is reduced by half when working smoke alarms are installed.

For more information about QLD house fires and to learn why QLD smoke alarm laws are the strictest in the country click here.

What should owner-occupiers do to prepare?
  1. Conduct a smoke alarm audit now
    Check your current smoke alarms for type, placement, and interconnection.
    Not sure how many alarms you need for your QLD property? Visit our FAQs. 
  2. Schedule upgrades early
    Promptly engage a provider to replace or install compliant photoelectric interconnected alarms as it’s possible supply will be limited or prices will rise, especially near the cut-off dates of 1 January 2027.
Why choose Detector Inspector for your upgrades?
  • Multiple alarm brands available - Detector Inspector and PSA alarms available for delivery and installation
  • Competitive pricing - $89 incl. GST per Detector Inspector Alarm or $149 incl. GST per PSA alarm
  • Useful features - Complimentary wireless smoke alarm controller with installation of either brand
  • Multiple alarm types - Interconnected smoke alarms are available in 10-year lithium and hardwired alarm types

Learn more and book your smoke alarm upgrade online in minutes.

Helping protect your home and loved ones

To avoid any delays, we recommend you don’t wait until the last minute to make your home compliant. Find our upgrade offer here or contact us today.

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While you’re here

Regulations
What happens when a rental heater fails after 1 March 2027
28 August 2026
Regulations
What changes on 13 October 2026, and what you will need to show
27 August 2026
Regulations
The story behind Queensland’s smoke alarm laws: The tragedy and the data that shaped policy
25 August 2025

Queensland has the most rigorous smoke alarm requirements in Australia. These regulations were introduced following one of the country’s worst house fire tragedies and are supported by decades of fire safety research.

If you’re already familiar with the requirements from our Queensland Smoke Alarm Regulations 2027 guide, this article will give you a closer look at the history and data that led to the introuduction of these laws.

The tragic catalyst: Lessons from Slacks Creek

Following a tragic house fire in Slacks Creek in 2011 which claimed the lives of 11 people, including eight children under 18, changes were made to Queensland’s domestic smoke alarm legislation. The fire was the cause of the greatest loss of life in a domestic house fire in Australian history.

A coronial inquest into the fire revealed that smoke alarms were not maintained in the home and did not sound during the fire. James McDougall South-eastern Coroner and author of the report titled ‘Findings of the Inquest into the Slacks Creek House Fire, 60 Wagensveldt St, Slacks Creek,’ stated:

“I find there were no working smoke alarms in the premises at the time the fire commenced. I find also that had the smoke alarms been working there was a reasonable prospect that some or all of the victims could have escaped.”

The report dated 28 November 2014, provided a number of recommendations – backed by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) (now Queensland Fire Department (QFD)) to increase legislative requirements regarding smoke alarms.

In direct response, the Queensland Government introduced major reforms through the Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulation 2016. The changes phased in a new standard for every domestic residence, requiring:

  • Photoelectric smoke alarms, which are proven more effective at detecting smouldering fires—the most fatal type. Learn more about photoelectric alarms here.
  • Alarms installed in every bedroom, connecting hallway, and on every storey.
  • Interconnection of all alarms, ensuring that when one sounds, all sound.
  • Hardwired mains power with a 10-year non-removable battery backup, or 10-year non-removable battery alone.
  • Strict compliance deadlines, already enforced for rental and newly sold homes, now extending to all owner-occupied dwellings by 1 January 2027.
Why interconnection is essential for the safety of occupants

Queensland experiences more than 1,600 residential house fires each year—roughly one every five hours—with an average of 10 fire-related deaths annually over the past 25 years.

Recent research is clear:

  • More than one-third of fatal home fires happen in houses without smoke alarms.
  • Forty-four percent of fire deaths involve people who were resting or sleeping.
  • The risk of death in a home fire is reduced by half when working smoke alarms are present.

Interconnected photoelectric alarms provide a “whole house” response, sounding together no matter where a fire starts. This unified alert gives everyone in the home precious additional seconds to wake up and escape safely.

In the example floor plan shown, alarms are installed in every bedroom and the connecting hallway. While Queensland is the only state that requires alarms inside bedrooms, this is also recommended nationwide by fire services such as the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW). QFES Chief Superintendent Neil Reid highlighted in the Slacks Creek Findings that because people often sleep with bedroom doors closed, alarms located only in hallways may fail to awaken occupants. Having interconnected alarms inside bedroom doors greatly increases the chance of waking individuals early enough to safely escape.

How to hush interconnected alams 840x580

Queensland’s tough smoke alarm laws are more than just legislative formalities. They are the result of hard lessons learned, backed by clear evidence that interconnected photoelectric alarms save lives.

Sources:

NCIS FACT SHEET Residential fire-related deaths in Australia

Coronial Inquest – Slacks Creek 2014

QLD Gov – Smoke Alarms Fact Sheet

Preventable residential fire fatalities in Australia July 2003 to June 2017 – Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC

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There’s a common misconception in NSW that strata management will take care of the safety and compliance requirements within apartments. The truth is more complex.

What is strata and how is it managed in NSW?

Strata is the legal framework that governs the ownership and management of multi-unit properties. It allows individual owners to have exclusive rights to their unit or apartment, as well as shared responsibility for the common areas and facilities of the complex or building. Strata schemes in NSW are regulated by NSW Fair Trading and require owners to comply with certain rules and obligations.

What are landlord’s fire safety obligations?

In NSW, Annual Fire Safety checks conducted by strata differ in important respects to the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) (RTA) and follow a different set of standards and regulations. Strata companies are required to complete an Annual Fire Safety Statement each year which generally includes checks and tests of essential fire safety measures such as:

  • Automatic smoke detection and fire sprinkler systems to residential buildings (common areas);
  • Emergency lights, lifts, exit signs, and warning and intercommunication systems;
  • Fire doors, control panels, dampers, hydrants, seals, hoses, and extinguishes; and
  • Paths of travel, doors and exists.

Strata companies do have extensive fire safety obligations but are not required to be as granular (individual smoke alarm testing) as landlord managed properties.

Relying solely on strata annual fire safety checks could result in non-compliance with the RTA and Fair Trading obligations, exposing tenants to a serious safety risk.

What are strata companies’ fire safety obligations?

It is essential to understand that most strata annual fire safety checks DO NOT meet the following requirements under the RTA by which landlords need to abide by:

  • Annually replace removable batteries in all smoke alarms.
  • Replace a smoke alarm with a new smoke alarm within 10 years from the manufacture date or earlier if specified.
  • Attend to faulty alarms within two business days of becoming aware of the problem (it is unlikely a strata company will attend within such as small time frame).

To learn more about RTA legislation that landlords are required to follow click here.

Ultimately, whose responsibility is it?

While it is the responsibility of strata companies to ensure all properties under their management comply with standards and regulations within common areas, the responsibility of managing fire safety checks ultimately rests on the landlord to comply with the mandatory requirements from the RTA, ensuring the annual battery change and maintenance for internal smoke alarms in their property (unless they have written confirmation from the Owners Corporation to the contrary).

Consequences of non-compliance

Non-compliance with the smoke alarm obligations outlined in the RTA can have serious consequences for landlords and managing agents. Landlords must ensure that the repair or replacement of smoke alarms installed in their rental property is carried out in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019 (NSW). If they don’t, a maximum penalty of $2,200 will apply.

Compliance audits are conducted regularly across the state by government authorities like NSW Fair Trading to monitor and manage ongoing adherence to the regulations. Agencies and landlords who fail these audits expose themselves to risk of substantial fines and licence cancellations.

It is essential for landlords and managing agents to understand the gravity of their compliance obligations and take proactive measures to ensure the safety of their tenants while meeting the requirements set forth by the RTA.

If you have any further questions or would like to learn more about how Detector Inspector can help inform your landlords and to manage RTA compliance obligations, please contact us below.

Detector Inspector's smoke alarm safety service provides peace of mind that all smoke alarms at a property are operating correctly and the property is safe and compliant. Enquire now.
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At Detector Inspector, we understand the importance of tenants’ comfort and peace of mind within the rental home. In this article we explore the process of entry notifications, highlighting their significance and why they are an important part of conducting safety checks.

When Detector Inspector is engaged to conduct safety checks at a rental property, access may occur via an entry notification sent to the tenant. Entry notifications are a legal way to obtain access to properties in all states, but legislation does differ by state and it’s important that requirements are followed.

Respecting the right of tenants to enjoy their home peacefully is a top priority when coordinating the delivery of these lifesaving safety checks, so it is important landlords, real estate agencies and servicing providers adhere to the legislation that outlines when and how they do so. While entry regulations may vary slightly across Australian states, clear rules and notice periods exist to protect tenants' privacy and security.

Our commitment to tenant privacy

Entry notifications play a crucial role in keeping tenants in control of their living arrangements while allowing service providers, such as Detector Inspector, to carry out essential safety checks.

The content of an entry notification and a minimum amount of time for delivery is set out by each state governed by legislation. In all cases we meet the minimum requirement, and in addition we undertake additional non-mandated communication via SMS to ensure no surprises.

Finally, when we attend the property, we use things like door hangers to notify that someone is in the property and calling cards to let them know that we’ve visited.

Our entry notification process

When a service due date is approaching and we have received agency permission, an entry notification will be sent to all tenants listed on the record. For regions where digital entry notifications are feasible, we typically send out emails and text messages between 3 to 7 days before the scheduled service date. Additionally, reminders are sent 24 hours prior to each booking. If digital notifications are not possible in the local area, a physical entry notice will be mailed to the address. Where a tenant wishes to reschedule, they can contact our call centre or reschedule online.

How we access and manage tenant data

We require the express permission from the managing agent to use entry notifications at their properties. We work with agencies to draft the communications. Once agreed upon, up-to-date tenant information is provided by the agent to us in one of two ways; first, via integration with the agency’s property management system. This is our preferred method, as it ensures the automatic updates of new tenant contact details. Second, in the absence of integration, we rely on the agency to check and confirm the details for every property we service, and we provide frequent updates to remind them.

Importantly, we do not proceed with key pick up until the agency has actively confirmed the details are correct.

Respecting living arrangements

When our technicians visit a property, we understand the importance of minimising any inconvenience. We utilise door hangers to notify that we're on the premises and provide calling cards to inform tenants of our attendance.

Additional information to keep in mind
  • Depending on the type of safety checks required, multiple appointments may be necessary involving various trades.
  • All our technicians hold an approved National Police Certificate, ensuring safety during our visits.

At Detector Inspector, our aim is to strike the perfect balance between convenience, privacy and safety. By following these transparent processes and providing effective communication through various channels, we ensure that vital safety checks are conducted smoothly, giving tenants peace of mind.

Further information on privacy and entry

For further information on privacy and entry, below are a selection of state-specific resources:

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Managed App, the property management software platform and Detector Inspector, the residential safety & compliance services provider, have announced a new integration partnership.

Under the partnership, Managed App has chosen Detector Inspector as its exclusive integration partner for safety & compliance services. Integration between Managed App’s property management software and Detector Inspector’s compliance management software will assist Managed App’s agency clients to streamline workflows and save time on mandatory safety & compliance obligations for their rental portfolio.

Rohith George, Head of Operations at Managed App said:

“We chose Detector Inspector because of their scale and commitment to technology and innovation. We each share a commitment to reducing the administration of property management and by working closely together, we’re confident that our agency clients and their property managers will be delighted by the improvements our partnership unlocks.”

Rohith George, Head of Operations at Managed App

Jordan Kagan-Gescheit, founder and co-CEO of Detector Inspector said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Managed App as their exclusive provider of residential safety & compliance services. The benefits to agencies of improved integration with our compliance management software are clear and we look forward to extending those benefits to Managed App clients across the country.”

Jordan Kagan Gescheit, founder and co-CEO of Detector Inspector

Deepening the integrated experience

Detector Inspector’s compliance software offers integration in order to automate a number of manual, administrative tasks that otherwise have to be done by property managers, including:

  • Updates to tenant and property details
  • Property manager re-assignment
  • Key number/location management
  • Lost managements or archived properties
  • Lease agreement details updates

In addition, a deeper integration with Managed App was developed that offers Managed App clients the added advantage of push invoicing, where Detector Inspector invoices are automatically pushed into Managed App to streamline trust accounting and payments.

Making compliance simpler and homes safer is at the heart of everything we do. Working with Managed App to provide integration with Detector Inspector’s Agency Portal means less headaches for property managers and ultimately safer Australian homes.

About Managed App

Managed App was created to empower real estate agencies by automating workflows, reporting, payments, invoices and dramatically reducing rental property administration. Since its launch in 2018, Managed App has grown to have over 300 real estate agents using their platform.

Not with Detector Inspector? Get in touch with our friendly team today and we can assist with achieving 100% compliance confidence with your portfolio.

The services we offer flex and change with the evolving regulations in your state. The constant you can trust is the quality of service we provide, rigorously ensuring compliance and delivering on our purpose – Safer Homes.

Learn more
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There’s a lot of boxes to tick when renting out a property, and even more when selling. Extra rules for Queensland properties sold after 31 December 2021 place new demands on owners and managers. We are here to help.
What are the rules for properties being RENTED?

Here’s a quick refresher on the compliance rules for properties being leased or re-leased in QLD effective from 1 January 2022:

  • All smoke alarms must be either hardwired 240-volt photoelectric alarms or powered by 10-year lithium batteries
  • Alarms must be installed in every bedroom, in all hallways or areas connecting bedrooms to the rest of the dwelling, and there must be at least one on each storey in the most likely path of exit
  • All smoke alarms must be interconnected with each other.

Those are the basics, but the legislation contains more details about standards and placement. Read our summary here.

What’s new for properties being SOLD?

From 31 December 2021, sellers who are putting their property up for sale, need to make sure that the smoke alarms have been upgraded in line with the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990.

Smoke alarms must be installed according to the same guidelines set out for rental properties – hardwired into the mains power supply or fitted with 10-year batteries, interconnected with each other and installed in specific locations, as well as meeting other detailed specifications.

Compliant smoke alarms must be in place before the seller enters into a sale agreement and be able to provide proof of upgrade status at settlement.

Along with the usual terms like satisfactory building and pest inspections, smoke alarm compliance is set to become a normal expectation in residential sales, and failure to comply could compromise a contract.

Properties can’t be rented or sold from 1 January 2022 if they’re non-compliant. Owners and managers will be left legally exposed if there’s an incident at a property where the smoke alarms don’t meet standards.

What are your responsibilities?

If you’re a property owner who is planning to sell soon, you need to ensure the smoke alarms will be compliant with the new legislation. In addition, you should be armed with a certificate of compliance to assure the buyer that the smoke alarms are recently serviced and properly installed in accordance with the rules.

Sales agents have a responsibility to make their clients aware of the changes, assist them to make properties compliant and produce documentation to demonstrate it.

Choose one of Australia’s leading providers

As one of the longest-established compliance companies in Australia we’ve been working with the requirementrs of the legislation changes since  since it was first introduced

We offer a per alarm pricing structure, backed by a 3-year product warranty and 10-year service warranty. In additionawe offer AS 3786:2014 interconnected alarms in 10-year lithium and hardwired variants at a competitive price.

Plus, everything is digitally recorded and stored in our industry-leading automated system. This means detailed record keeping to show you’ve done everything right, with zero admin input from you.

Please note we only service South East Queensland.

Hassle-free smoke alarm warranty replacement

Since the mandatory requirements came into effect in Jan 2022, our customers told us that one of the most time-consuming and frustrating things is having to arrange replacement of faulty interconnected smoke alarms under warranty with outside suppliers.

We listened to them and introduced a streamlined solution.

Now, as a Detector Inspector subscription customer, we are completing product warranty replacement of non-Detector Inspector smoke alarms with no call-out fees and no charge for replacement alarms, provided the faulty alarm is in the manufacturer's product warranty period and the owner’s subscription is current.

If the manufacturer's warranty period has expired, we will provide a quotation for the replacement of expired smoke alarms or alarms that become faulty.

Get sorted today

If you’re a seller, book your upgrade with us and benefit from our per alarm pricing structure, including delivery and installation.

Detector Inspector is here to make smoke alarm compliance one less thing you have to worry about. Our comprehensive solution will take care of everything.

Enquire about our interconnected smoke alarms

All our Safer Home subscription plans include smoke alarm and electrical services, with the number of gas appliances at the property determining the right plan for every property.

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Non-compliant landlords leave agents legally exposed. As your compliance partner, we want to help reduce that risk by making compliance gaps easy to spot and solve.

Compliance confidence at an all-time low

Since 2020, a flood of new compliance legislation has rapidly come into effect across NSW, Victoria and QLD, with predictions that other states are soon to follow.

Compliance management has become a matter of urgency. The rapid change brings new challenges:

  • Landlords being slow to understand and resistant to change, or opting to try and manage compliance themselves
  • Juggling multiple providers to manage new mandatory requirements across smoke alarms, gas, electrical safety, water, corded blinds and other legislated safety features.

It’s a major, sometimes impossible task for agents to get an accurate snapshot of compliance across their whole portfolio and feel confident they have it appropriately covered.

Why compliance matters now more than ever

With the new legislation comes increased rights for tenants and an increased risk of legal exposure for landlords and agents alike.

In Victoria, a rental non-compliance register has been established to publish the details of landlords and rental agents who haven’t met obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act. There are calls for a similar register to be established in NSW.

The legislation reform has been prompted by house fires, gas leaks and other preventable accidents causing unnecessary deaths. Quite rightly, landlords and agents are called to implement stronger safety measures.

A new solution: Advanced Reporting

Detector Inspector’s new reporting makes it easy to spot the gaps and drive towards 100% compliance confidence.

It integrates seamlessly with your existing property management software to generate compliance snapshots for the agency group, agency branch and individual property managers.

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Agency group compliance profiles

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Agency branch compliance profile

  • Gauge your compliance rate versus your network (or other comparators)
  • Identify property managers with the best and worst compliance performance to facilitate regular management of portfolio compliance
  • Instantly assess compliance gaps and drive towards 100% compliance
100% compliance confidence is possible

With Advanced Reporting comes a simple process for closing the compliance gaps:

  • From the reports, non-compliant properties are quickly identified
  • Selecting from a large range of possible approaches, we suggest some tailored solutions to address the gaps
  • We can help you execute solutions or you can outsource us to deliver them on your behalf
  • Going forward, we can agree on a frequency of engagement to make 100% compliance confidence part of your business as usual.
Compliance is more urgent than ever. Enquire today and take the first step towards 100% compliance confidence.

The services we offer flex and change with the evolving regulations in your state. The constant you can trust is the quality of service we provide, rigorously ensuring compliance and delivering on our purpose – Safer Homes.

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Tasmanian smoke alarm regulations have recently been updated. Here is everything you need to know to maintain 100% compliance in your rental properties.

Introduced on 26 December 2022, the Residential Tenancy (Smoke Alarms) Regulations 2022 are a revision on the now superseded 2012 regulations.

The update is mandated in Tasmanian legislation but was an opportunity for the Tasmanian government to seek input from industry leaders during the drafting phase.

As a leader in smoke alarm compliance in Australia, Detector Inspector submitted input and recommendations, based on experience managing state-based legislative changes over the past 17 years.

What are the regulations?

The Residential Tenancy (Smoke Alarms) Regulations detail owner’s obligations in installing, maintaining and ensuring smoke alarm compliance to keep tenants safe.

The regulations are enforced at all tenanted premises to which the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas) applies.

In summary your smoke alarm compliance obligations under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas) includes ensuring that smoke alarms must be:

  • Installed in every corridor associated with a bedroom and on any other storey that does not contain a bedroom;
  • Hard-wired or fitted with a 10-year, non-removable, lithium battery;
  • Tested by the first day of a new tenancy; and
  • Maintained in working order.
What has changed?

The 2022 revision of these regulations have seen minor changes, primarily focused around simplifying language and improving understanding and accessibility for readers.

As a trusted compliance partner, we monitored the amendments very closely and reached out to the Department of Justice to confirm the viability of our smoke alarm service in relation to the new regulations.

Specifically, we found one new clause that appeared to have two possible interpretations.

Residential Tenancy (Smoke Alarms) Regulations 2022 (Tas) cl 15

‘For the purposes of section 36D(1) of the Act, the owner of tenanted premises must ensure that any smoke alarm on, or associated with, the premises has been tested on the first day of each relevant period in respect of the tenanted premises.’

We considered two possible interpretations of the clause and sought clarification from the Department of Justice on which was correct.

  1. That a property must have been tested by the first day of a new tenancy, OR
  2. That a property must be tested on the first day of a new tenancy.

We were pleased to be advised that the first interpretation was correct, meaning the expectation for a new tenancy is that owners have arranged everything necessary to comply with the law prior to the start of a new tenancy.

Ultimately, thanks to this confirmation, we are confident in the compliance of all Detector Inspector serviced properties and that our current service meets all amended regulations.

For current Tasmanian Detector Inspector clients, it is important to note that no actions are required, and your clients with properties enrolled in our service have met their obligations.

Not with Detector Inspector? Get in touch with our friendly team today and we can assist with achieving 100% compliance confidence with your portfolio.

The services we offer flex and change with the evolving regulations in your state. The constant you can trust is the quality of service we provide, rigorously ensuring compliance and delivering on our purpose – Safer Homes.

Learn more
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