FFP Guides

Compliance by state

Smoke alarms and RCDs before a WA property is sold, rented or hired

In Western Australia, compliant smoke alarms and at least two RCDs must be fitted before a home's title transfers, or before it is rented or hired out. Smoke alarms must meet AS 3786, be mains powered where possible, and be no more than 10 years old. RCDs must protect all power point and light circuits (Building and Energy, Government of Western Australia).

Last checked 25 Sep 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.

Official name
Smoke alarm compliance (AS 3786) and RCD compliance, both required before a property's land title transfers or it is rented or hired
Regulator
Building and Energy, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
Who issues it
No single certificate; smoke alarm compliance is the seller or landlord's responsibility, RCD installation and testing is carried out by a licensed electrical contractor
When
Transfer of a property's land title (sale), or offering the property for rent or short term hire
Deadline
Smoke alarms and RCDs must both be in place before settlement, before a new tenancy starts, or before short term guests stay
Lodgement
Not lodged with a regulator. Local governments may act on non-compliant smoke alarms; RCD work is documented by the licensed electrical contractor who installs it
Keep records for
Not a document retention duty: smoke alarms must be replaced once more than 10 years old or past their expiry date, whichever comes first
Penalty
Local governments may take action where compliant smoke alarms are not installed or maintained in accordance with the laws. Building and Energy's RCD guidance does not state a separate penalty figure for the RCD requirement.

Homeowner? If you're buying or renting a home in WA, you can ask the seller or landlord to confirm the smoke alarms meet AS 3786 and are under 10 years old, and that at least two RCDs protect the switchboard, before you sign.

What the certificate must show

Produce it from a ServiceM8 job

  1. In Settings > Forms > Add Form, create a form called Pre settlement or new tenancy check WA.
  2. Add a Smoke alarms section: Multiple Choice for Power source (Mains / 10 year lithium battery, mains not possible), Number for Alarm age (years), and Checkbox items for each required location (bedroom corridors, storeys without bedrooms).
  3. Add an RCDs section: Number for RCDs fitted (minimum 2), Text (Multi-line) for Circuits protected, and Text for Licensed electrical contractor and licence number.
  4. Add Photo questions for the smoke alarm's compliance label and the switchboard, so the finished PDF is evidence a conveyancer or agent can use directly.
  5. Attach the form to a job badge such as Settlement/tenancy compliance checked and set it mandatory before the job can be marked complete.

One trigger, two systems

Western Australia ties a sale and a new tenancy to two separate device requirements at once: smoke alarms and residual current devices. Neither is optional at the point of transfer. Smoke alarms have to be installed prior to transfer of ownership, rent and hire, and RCDs have to be properly installed to protect all circuits supplying power points and lights before the land title is transferred, or before rental or short term guests move in. A seller or landlord who has one sorted and not the other has not finished the job.

What counts as a compliant smoke alarm

The alarm has to comply with AS 3786, the Australian Standard for smoke alarms using scattered light, transmitted light or ionisation, and be permanently connected to the mains power supply. Battery power is only acceptable where a mains installation genuinely isn't possible, such as a concrete ceiling or a flat roof, and even then the battery has to be a 10 year lithium type that can't be removed. On top of the standard itself, the alarm has to be in working order and not more than 10 years old or past its expiry date. Placement matters too: on or near the ceiling, at least 300mm from where the ceiling meets a wall, in every corridor associated with a bedroom (or the area between the bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling if there's no corridor), and on every storey that doesn't have bedrooms.

At least two RCDs, sometimes more

The RCD side of the rule is a minimum, not a fixed number: at least two safety switches have to be fitted to protect power point and lighting circuits, and a licensed electrical contractor may determine that a particular home needs more. This applies to a sale before the land title transfers, and to rental properties, where landlords must ensure RCDs are installed at the switchboard in accordance with the Electricity Regulations, including before short term guests stay. Only a licensed electrical contractor can install the RCDs or fix a problem a test turns up.

Who checks, and what happens if it's missed

Nobody issues a combined certificate for this pair of requirements: the smoke alarm side is a standard the seller or landlord has to meet, and local governments may take action where compliant smoke alarms are not installed or maintained in accordance with the laws. The RCD side runs through the licensed electrician who installs and, where needed, tests the switches. A conveyancer or property manager checking a file for both at once, rather than assuming one covers the other, is the safest habit.

Covering both in one ServiceM8 job

Build a pre settlement or new tenancy job type that carries two separate checklists rather than one combined tick box: a smoke alarm section (AS 3786 compliance, mains power or 10 year lithium battery, age under 10 years, corridor and storey placement) and an RCD section (number fitted, which circuits they protect, and the electrician's licence number). Photos of the alarm's compliance plate and the switchboard labelling give the seller or landlord something to hand a conveyancer or agent without another site visit."

Sources

  1. Smoke alarms must be installed prior to transfer of ownership, rent and hire. Alarms must comply with Australian Standard AS 3786, be permanently connected to the mains power supply (battery powered alarms with a non-removable 10 year lithium battery permitted only where mains installation is not possible), be in working order, and be not more than 10 years old and not past their expiry date. Building and Energy, Government of Western Australia, checked 25 Sep 2026.
  2. Smoke alarms must be installed on or near the ceiling, a minimum of 300mm away from where the ceiling and wall meet, in every corridor associated with a bedroom (or, if there is no corridor, in the area between the bedrooms and the remainder of the building), and on all storeys without bedrooms. Local governments may take action where compliant smoke alarms are not installed or maintained in accordance with the laws. Building and Energy, Government of Western Australia, checked 25 Sep 2026.
  3. At least two RCDs must be fitted to make homes safer; more may be needed depending on the premises, as determined by a licensed electrical contractor. RCDs must be properly installed to protect all circuits supplying power points and lights before the land title is transferred. Government of Western Australia, checked 25 Sep 2026.
  4. Landlords must ensure RCDs are installed in the switchboards of their rental premises in accordance with the Electricity Regulations. For short term rentals, RCDs must be installed at the switchboard of the premises in accordance with the Electricity Regulations, and this must be done before guests stay. For installation of RCDs, or to address a problem identified during a test, a licensed electrical contractor must be engaged. Government of Western Australia, checked 25 Sep 2026.