Does Your Rental Property Need a Switchboard Upgrade?

If you live in or manage a rental property in Richmond, Burnley or Melbourne’s inner suburbs, there’s a good chance the switchboard hasn’t been looked at in years — maybe even decades. And that could be a problem.

We’re seeing a lot of older homes and investment properties with outdated or unsafe electrical setups, and most landlords don’t even know there’s an issue until a tenant reports a power fault — or worse.

What’s the risk with old switchboards?

Homes built before the early 2000s often have switchboards that:

• Still use ceramic fuses or rewireable fuses

• Don’t have safety switches (RCDs) installed

• Can’t safely support modern appliance loads like split systems, dishwashers, or EV chargers

• May not comply with current Victorian rental safety standards

These setups are more likely to cause:

• Power trips

• Overheating or fires

• Tenant complaints

• Failed safety inspections

Are switchboard upgrades required for rentals?

If you’re a landlord or property manager in Victoria, you’re legally required to provide safe electrical infrastructure. That includes:

• Functioning safety switches (RCDs) on all circuits

• A system that won’t overload under normal use

• Proper circuit labelling and testing

If your switchboard hasn’t been upgraded or inspected in years, you could be putting your tenants — and your insurance — at risk.

How can you tell if a switchboard needs an upgrade?

Some signs you might need an upgrade:

• 🔌 Flickering lights or appliances turning off randomly

• ⚡ Power tripping when using the oven, heater or aircon

• 🔥 Warm or buzzing switchboard panel

• ⚠️ No safety switches present (or only one on the whole board)

• 🕰️ The house was built before 2000 and hasn’t had electrical work since

We can take a quick look and let you know if your setup is safe and compliant.

We work with landlords, tenants, and property managers across Melbourne

At Blunt’s Electrical, we regularly carry out switchboard inspections and upgrades for:

• Private landlords

• Rental agencies

• Owner-occupiers

• Builders and renovators

We’re based in Richmond and Burnley, and work across South Yarra, Camberwell, Glen Iris, Carlton, Malvern, Kew, Caulfield, Toorak, St Kilda, Brighton, Abbotsford and surrounding suburbs.

We turn up when we say we will, explain things clearly, and provide clean, safe, compliant work — without the fuss.

📞 Call Blunt’s Electrical on (03) 9428 6770 for an honest opinion on your switchboard.
We can inspect it, advise you on upgrades, and handle everything from start to finish.

Blunt’s Electrical — trusted by Melbourne landlords and tenants for reliable electrical safety.