Guides › Electrical › Western Australia
RCD and smoke alarm compliance for WA properties
The short answer
Western Australia ties its requirements to the transaction, not the calendar. Before a property is sold, rented or hired, it needs a minimum of two RCDs and compliant mains powered smoke alarms. The penalties here are the heaviest in the country.
Safety switches and RCDs
A minimum of two RCDs is required, one protecting the power circuits and one protecting the lighting circuits, before a property is sold, rented or hired. Penalties run up to $15,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations. Tenants are advised to test their RCDs every 3 months, which is guidance rather than a legal duty on the tenant.
Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms must be mains powered and hard wired, meet AS 3786:2014, and be less than 10 years old, before a property is sold, rented or hired. Infringements of around $1,000 apply, with fines up to $5,000.
Penalties
RCDs: up to $15,000 for individuals, $100,000 for corporations. Smoke alarms: around $1,000 infringement, fines up to $5,000.
Worth knowing
Alarm age is a compliance fact, not a detail
A hard wired alarm that is over 10 years old fails the requirement even though it works. The manufacture or expiry date belongs on the report.
Two RCDs is the floor, not the target
The requirement is a minimum of two, covering power and lighting separately. More circuits protected is better, and worth noting on the report.
When it needs doing
Triggered by the transaction. There is no periodic cycle, but the requirement returns every time the property changes hands or tenants.
Who is responsible for what
The owner is responsible for having the RCDs and alarms compliant before the property is sold, rented or hired. Agents commonly arrange the work as part of the listing or the changeover. The work itself is licensed electrical work.
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 Western Australia:
- Property address and whether the trigger is a sale, a rent or a hire
- Confirmation of at least two RCDs, and that they separately protect power and lighting circuits
- RCD trip test results as measured values
- Alarm locations and confirmation they are mains powered and hard wired
- Alarm manufacture or expiry dates, to evidence the under 10 years requirement
- Switchboard condition
- Defects found, with photos
- Signature of the person who did the work
What commonly fails
The defects that turn up most often on Western Australia rental properties:
- Only one RCD fitted, covering power but leaving lighting circuits unprotected
- Hard wired alarms that work fine but are over 10 years old
- Battery alarms fitted where mains powered ones are required
- No recorded alarm age, which makes the under 10 years requirement impossible to evidence
Do the check on your phone, hand over the report before you leave
Safety Check Pro walks you through the checkpoints for Western Australia, 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
How many RCDs does a WA rental need?
A minimum of two: one protecting power circuits and one protecting lighting circuits, in place before the property is sold, rented or hired.
What are the penalties for non-compliance in WA?
Up to $15,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations on the RCD requirement. Smoke alarm breaches attract infringements of around $1,000 and fines up to $5,000.
Do WA smoke alarms have to be hard wired?
Yes. They must be mains powered and hard wired, meet AS 3786:2014, and be less than 10 years old.
Is there a periodic inspection requirement in WA?
No. The requirements are triggered by sale, rent or hire rather than by a fixed interval.
Other states
VIC NSW QLD SA TAS 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 Building and Energy, WA before you rely on it.