Guides › Electrical › Tasmania
Smoke alarm and RCD compliance for Tasmanian rentals
The short answer
In Tasmania, smoke alarms are the mandated part and RCDs are a recommendation on existing circuits. There is no requirement to retrofit safety switches to an existing installation, which is the single most commonly misunderstood point in the state.
Safety switches and RCDs
There is no rental specific requirement to retrofit RCDs. Safety switches are required on new installations and new sub-circuits under AS/NZS 3000, and Consumer, Building and Occupational Services recommends, rather than requires, RCDs on existing final sub-circuits. Separately, Type AC RCDs have been banned since 1 May 2023, so a replacement will not be like for like on older boards.
Smoke alarms
Alarms must be mains powered or a 10-year sealed battery type, fitted on each storey and in hallways serving bedrooms. The landlord tests and cleans them before each new tenancy.
Worth knowing
Recommended is still worth reporting
An RCD check in Tasmania is good practice rather than a legal obligation. Recording it as a recommendation, clearly labelled, is honest and still useful to the owner.
Type AC RCDs are no longer permitted
Banned since 1 May 2023. Worth flagging on any board where they are found, because the owner will need to plan for it.
When it needs doing
Smoke alarms must be tested and cleaned before each new tenancy begins.
Who is responsible for what
The landlord tests and cleans the alarms before each new tenancy. RCD work is licensed electrical work, and because RCDs are recommended rather than required on existing circuits, any RCD upgrade is the owner’s decision.
What the report should record
A verbal all clear is worth nothing six months later when someone asks for evidence. Whatever you use to do the check, these are the things worth having on the written record in Tasmania:
- Property address and the date the new tenancy starts
- Alarm locations, on each storey and in hallways serving bedrooms
- Alarm type, confirmed as mains powered or 10 year sealed battery
- Test result and cleaning record for each alarm
- Alarm expiry or manufacture dates
- Where an RCD check was done, which circuits are protected and the trip test results, labelled clearly as a recommendation
- Any Type AC RCDs found, since these are no longer permitted
- Defects found, with photos, and the signature of the person who did the work
What commonly fails
The defects that turn up most often on Tasmania rental properties:
- Alarms tested but not cleaned, when the requirement covers both
- A hallway serving bedrooms with no alarm
- Type AC RCDs still in service on older boards
- RCD recommendations written up in a way that reads like a legal failure, which is misleading to the owner
Do the check on your phone, hand over the report before you leave
Safety Check Pro walks you through the checkpoints for Tasmania, records your test results and photos, and produces a branded PDF report with your own logo on it. Works offline, syncs when you have signal.
See how it works All report types
Free plan includes 4 reports a month. No card needed to start.
Common questions
Are safety switches compulsory in Tasmanian rentals?
No. There is no requirement to retrofit RCDs to existing circuits. They are required on new installations and new sub-circuits, and recommended on existing ones.
When do Tasmanian rental smoke alarms need testing?
Before each new tenancy. The landlord tests and cleans them.
What type of smoke alarm is acceptable?
Mains powered, or a 10-year sealed battery type, fitted on each storey and in hallways serving bedrooms.
Can Type AC RCDs still be installed?
No. They have been banned since 1 May 2023, so an older board may need more than a like for like replacement.
Other states
VIC NSW QLD SA WA ACT NT All electrical
Last reviewed: September 2026. This page is general information for tradespeople and property owners, not legal advice. Rental and electrical safety laws change, and the requirements for an individual property can differ. Confirm the current position with Consumer, Building and Occupational Services before you rely on it.