Rental Property Safety Switch Requirements
The importance of installing a safety switch cannot be stressed enough by the Queensland Government. Landlords and property managers are being required to make sure that they do their part in having safety switches installed on all circuits of their rental property.
What does a safety switch do and why is it essential to every structure? A safety switch prevents serious electric shock to anyone inside a house or a building.
As a landlord, it is your responsibility to ensure accidents related to these are avoided. The Queensland Government has therefore required to have a safety switch installed to all power circuits. A $1,500 fine awaits those who fail to comply.
The requirements for safety switches are the following:
- As a landlord, your primary concern is to ensure that your rental property is deemed safe for your tenants.
- Have a safety switch installed on all circuits (even if they are not for lights or power points).
- Make sure that safety switches are fitted on all rental properties. This covers all homes built from 1992 up to the present.
- Have safety switches installed to all homes or properties built after 2000.
- Seek advice from a licensed electrician regarding the proper timing of the replacement of the safety switches.
- Hire the help of a licensed electrician to perform an operating time-current test every year.
- It is recommended that every 3 to 6 months, you test the safety switches using the inbuilt test button.
- Conduct a testing schedule in order to keep up with the reliability of the safety switches. They have the tendency to fail they remain dormant for long periods of time.
