Smoke alarm rules for rentals, explained by state
Every state expects working smoke alarms where people sleep. The detail that changes a work order is the power source, whether the alarms talk to each other, and who tests them. Rules change, so confirm the current requirement for that address before you book. Hardwired alarms are electrical work for a licensed electrician.
Queensland
Rental houses, townhouses, units and granny flats need interconnected photoelectric alarms: in each bedroom, in the hallway that connects the bedrooms, and on every level. They are hardwired, or powered by a sealed 10-year battery. The landlord tests them, cleans them and replaces flat batteries within 30 days before a tenancy starts or is renewed. During the tenancy the tenant tests them. Ionisation alarms are not the standard Queensland now requires.
New South Wales
Alarms must meet Australian Standard AS 3786. Landlords and agents have to keep them working, check them every year, and repair a fault, including a battery, within two business days. Replace an alarm within 10 years of manufacture, or sooner if the maker says so. Give at least two business days' notice to inspect, and at least one hour's notice to do the repair. NSW does not copy Queensland's "every bedroom, all interconnected" rule. The legal minimum is lower. A licensed electrician does any hardwired work.
Victoria
Smoke alarms are compulsory and must meet AS 3786. Rental providers must keep them installed and working, with batteries fitted, and test them at least every 12 months. Homes built after 1 August 1997 need hardwired alarms with battery backup. Older homes may still use battery alarms. At the start of an agreement, give the renter written notes on how each alarm works and how to test it. A failed alarm is an urgent repair. Separately, Victorian rental providers must arrange an electrical safety check by a licensed electrician at least every two years and keep the record. That check is not the same task as replacing a smoke alarm.
The other states and territories
Western Australia generally requires mains-powered alarms, replaced within 10 years, with interconnection unless an older exemption applies. South Australia requires alarms to AS 3786 placed so they can warn the bedrooms. Tasmania does not accept a standard replaceable 9-volt alarm in a rental: use a mains alarm with backup, or a sealed 10-year alarm. The ACT expects working alarms before the lease, on each storey and near the bedrooms. The Northern Territory expects photoelectric alarms, hardwired or with a sealed 10-year battery, tested before the tenancy. In each place, ask the electrician to confirm the current rule for that building.
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