As a rental provider, we must carry out regular maintenance to keep you safe and comfortable in your home.
All rental providers, including the department, have a responsibility to make sure rental properties are maintained in good repair.
Mandatory disclosures
Under the rental laws, the relevant history of a property will be provided to you before you enter into a rental agreement. This is known as mandatory disclosure and will allow you to make an informed decision about the home you will live in. This could include things like compliance with minimum safety standards and environmental issues or hazards.
Once you’ve accepted a property, a tenancy condition report will be completed before you move in, and again at the end of your tenancy.
Applicants on the Victorian Housing Register who do not accept an offer of public housing due to disclosures do not lose their place. The offer will be recorded as a cancelled offer.
If there is another available property at the time, then a new offer will be made, otherwise you will remain on the wait list.
Safety checks
What is a safety check?
Safety checks are very important and will help to keep you safe and comfortable in your home.
Safety checks include checking smoke alarms to make sure they are correctly installed, in working condition and tested according to manufacturer’s instructions.
They also include checking appliances, fixtures or fittings which use or supply gas or electricity to make sure they are safe and in working condition. These checks include items such as heaters, ovens, cook tops, hot water systems, power points, lights and light switches, power boxes, gas meters, range hoods and exhaust fans.
Why safety checks are needed
As your rental provider, we are required by law to carry out regular safety checks to keep you and your household safe. Safety checks are one of the many protections for renters in the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.
Regularly checking smoke alarms, gas and electrical appliances and fixtures and fittings to make sure they are in good working order, greatly reduces the chances of a dangerous fire or other emergencies in your home. Delays in carrying them out can put your safety at risk.
Every home gets a yearly safety check
By law we must:
- check smoke alarms at least once every 12 months, with smoke alarms replaced before the warranty expires (usually every 10 years)
- check gas and electrical installations, appliances and fittings every 2 years.
Safety checks are carried out by professional contractors
Our qualified maintenance contractors will complete the safety checks of your home.
What to expect
You will receive a letter from the department letting you know when safety checks will occur. These checks will involve an electrician and a gas fitter coming to your home.
Our maintenance contractors will call you to organise a suitable time to complete the safety checks.
The maintenance contractor will come to your home on the scheduled day and time to carry out the safety checks.
It is important you allow maintenance contractors to access your home so they can complete the safety checks and fulfil our legal responsibilities.
What to do if your plans change
If your plans change and you need to reschedule, get in touch with your local housing office as soon as possible to discuss how the safety checks can be completed.
If you miss a scheduled safety check, the contractor will leave you a calling card with their contact details. It is important you get in touch with them as soon as possible to arrange a time for them to return.
If you miss a rescheduled safety check, we may need to take legal action to access your home to complete the safety checks and fulfil our legal responsibilities.
Keeping records of safety checks
As your rental provider, we must keep a record of all safety checks for compliance purposes.
If you would like to receive a copy of your safety certificate, please contact your local housing office.