Property management electrician
Tired of chasing up your sparky?
Work with an electrician who understands the fast pace of property management — and puts the process in writing.
A common gripe
Slow responses and unapproved work strain the owner relationship.
From electricians taking days to respond to work orders, to sparkies going ahead with remedial work and charging it to the client without prior approval — it leads to the same thing: a strained relationship between you and the owner.
The fix starts with one question to ask any electrician: “Can you provide me with your Property Management Servicing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)?”
With an SOP in hand, you don’t need to keep following up — the electrician has specified exactly what they’ll do and when, in writing.
RCDs and smoke alarms before each tenancy
WA landlords must make sure RCDs are installed in the switchboard of a rental home under the Electricity Regulations. A home that is sold, rented or hired needs every power point and lighting circuit protected by at least two RCDs, with no more than three final sub-circuits on each one. Short-stay rentals need their RCDs in place before guests arrive. Smoke alarms follow the same pattern. The Building Regulations 2012 require compliant alarms before a home is rented or hired: less than 10 years old, working, and permanently connected to mains power. Homes built after 1 May 2015 with more than one alarm need them interconnected, and a replacement hard-wired alarm has to be installed by a licensed electrical contractor.
Routine checks and the paperwork to keep
Building and Energy says RCDs should be test-checked every three months, or more often if the manufacturer says so, and a faulty RCD repaired by a licensed electrical contractor. When an electrician does installation work other than a repair or a like-for-like replacement, the electrical contractor must give the customer an electrical safety certificate within 28 days. Keep it with the property file. Every electrical contractor in WA holds a licence starting with EC, so the number is a quick check before work is approved.
Questions property managers ask
Do older rental homes in WA need RCDs on every circuit?
Not necessarily. Homes built after 1 January 2019 need every circuit RCD protected under AS/NZS 3000:2018. An older home being rented must meet the Electricity Regulations minimum: at least two RCDs covering all power point and lighting circuits, with no more than three final sub-circuits on each.
How old can a smoke alarm be in a WA rental?
Less than 10 years. WA’s Building Regulations 2012 require compliant smoke alarms before a home is rented or hired, and a compliant alarm must be under 10 years old, in working order and permanently connected to mains power.
What should I receive after electrical work on a rental?
For installation work other than repairs and like-for-like replacements, the WA electrical contractor must give the customer an electrical safety certificate within 28 days.
Talk to Aaron about your rental properties.
Call Aaron on 1300 027 832 to find out more about how we work with property managers.