Smoke alarm checks
Every alarm tested once a year, batteries replaced on the visit, and end-of-life alarms flagged before they start chirping at 3am.
Required every 12 months under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 (Vic), regulation 25. The cycle restarts from the day the check is done — not from the lease, and not from the calendar year.
What happens on the day
- Every alarm found, tested and cleaned
- Batteries replaced as part of the visit
- Expiry checked — anything past ten years is flagged for replacement
- Placement checked against AS 3786 and the building regulations
- Tenant shown how to test it between visits
What you get afterwards
- A report naming every alarm, where it is, how it tested and when it expires
- Photos of anything that needs replacing
- Your next date, moved on twelve months
Who signs it off
A qualified technician carries out the check and issues the certificate. We do not issue it and no compliance service can — what we do is file it against the job the moment it comes through, so it is on the property record when you need it.
Questions about this check
How often does a rental need a gas and electrical check?
Every two years, each of them. The clock runs from the date the last check was done — not from the lease, and not from the calendar year — so two properties you took on in the same month can easily have dates eighteen months apart.
And smoke alarms?
Every twelve months. Because it is annual and the others are two-yearly, the smoke alarm date drifts away from the rest almost immediately. That is why we hold a separate date for each check rather than one date per property.
What happens if a check goes overdue?
The obligation sits with the rental provider, but you are the one who gets the phone call. We chase the date before it lands rather than reporting it after: reminders go out on a schedule you set, and anything overdue is the first thing on your screen when you open the portal.
Need smoke alarm checks across your rent roll?
Tell us a bit about your rent roll and we will come back to you within one business day.
Or ring the office on 1300 815 530.