Do electrical safety checks apply to older Victorian rental agreements?

From 13 October 2026, yes — to all of them. Up to that date, it has depended on how the agreement moved through the 29 March 2021 change: checks have been required for agreements entered into after that date, and for fixed-term agreements that rolled into periodic agreements after it, while tenancies that became periodic before 29 March 2021 sat outside the mandatory cycle. The Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2025 closes that gap, inserting sections 65C-65F into the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 so the two-yearly check applies to every Victorian rental agreement from 13 October 2026 regardless of when it started. For an older Ballarat tenancy, that means the exemption ends on that date — check the last electrical safety-check record now rather than waiting, since a check already carried out within the last two years still counts. A licensed electrician can perform the check; Consumer Affairs Victoria can clarify the legal position for a specific agreement.