Landlords – your responsibilities
- Ensure only licensed people do all gasfitting and electrical work.
- Before re-letting, ensure all appliances are safe and any unsafe appliance is repaired or removed.
- Ensure electrical appliances are cleaned regularly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Particular attention should be paid to dust build-up on cooling fan inlets and all parts of heaters.
- Check electrical appliances for damage to plugs, leads and casings that may expose live parts or cause a fire.
- Ensure electrical wiring, socket outlets and switches are maintained in a safe condition.
- Ensure all gas appliances, pipework and flue systems are maintained in a safe condition.
- Ensure all ventilations openings are clear and unobstructed.
- Ensure all pipes are sealed correctly if an appliance has been removed.
- Record all safety checks and details of work carried out on a gas or electrical installation.
- Flue systems must be examined regularly, especially those related to decorative gas log fires, internal hot water heaters and space heaters. Flue terminals must be checked to ensure they are not blocked and are vermin-proof.
- Burning or discolouration on the front or above a space or water heater indicates a problem and must be checked immediately.
- Air-vents must not be blocked or covered.
- Piping systems should be checked every five years or whenever a new or replacement appliance is installed. Galvanised steel installations should be checked more frequently.
- Respond immediately to any request from your tenant to fix a gas leak, or any other urgent repair listed under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. If you do not respond to them immediately, they can authorise an urgent repair of up to $1800, for which you must reimburse them. More informations about this is available at consumer.vic.gov.au/renting
Tenants – your responsibilities
Tenants are responsible for using appliances according to instructions and should immediately report any faults to the landlord or agent.
- Use appliances appropriately
- Allow reasonable access for the landlord’s contractor to carry out gas and electricity safety checks.
- Report any fault or malfunction to the landlord or agent.
- Stop using any appliance that is obviously faulty.
- Do not use damaged appliances – they can cause fires and injuries.
- Do not illegally install, remove or tamper with any gas or electrical appliance.
- Do not use multiple or cascaded power boards as a substitute for permanent socket outlets.
- Ensure that portable heaters are kept away from combustible materials including washing, paper, blankets and curtains.
- When replacing electrical fuses, use the specified rating only. Oversized fuses may cause the fixed wiring to fail resulting in electric shock or fire.
- Before you sign a lease, you may consider requesting a condition/clause be added requiring the landlord to undertake to have any appliances checked and certified safe every two years.
