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When it comes to electrical work, DIY can be dangerous and expensive. To ensure rental properties are maintained to a professional standard, changes to the RTA (VIC) from March 2021 mandate that electrical safety checks and services must be carried out at least every 2 years by a licensed electrician.

It’s tempting for landlords to think that DIY is cheaper and less hassle than hiring a tradie. Property managers and landlords need to be aware of their responsibilities and the risks of unlicensed electrical work. Here are five reasons electrical work should only be carried out by a qualified electrician, plus the low-down on new electrical safety legislation.

1. It’s safer.

DIY can be dangerous: Energy Safe Victoria warns don’t DIY! Electrical accidents injure or kill more than 800 Victorians every year. An average of 75 of these incidents involve children at home. Detector Inspector has serviced thousands of rental properties, and we’ve found that at least 1 in 10 properties has a critical safety issue at the first service that represents a significant risk to tenants. Electric shock can cause permanent burn injuries to the skin and damage internal tissues, vital organs and the nervous system. Electrical faults can also cause house fires. DIY domestic electrical work exposes landlords and tenants to a risk which can be fatal. It’s not worth it!

2. It’s cheaper.

DIY doesn’t really save money in the long run. Landlords might resist paying somebody to do something they can do for free, but DIY doesn’t come with a professional guarantee that the work will last months or years. Quick fixes and patch-up jobs don’t replace a full, regular service: it’s easy for DIYers to overlook wear and tear, leading to the replacement of expensive parts or even the entire system which could have been avoided. Paying a fixed low, annual fee for a complete electrical safety service means landlords can plan for a set budget and are more likely to avoid major surprise expenses.

3. It saves time.

DIY is tricky and time-consuming. Without professional electrical training, DIYers are relying on google and YouTube videos to diagnose and fix electrical problems. It’s a minefield! Trying to repair a problem if you’re not sure what you’re doing is time-consuming and can create a bigger issue than what you started with. Plus, without regular checks and services, new issues will keep cropping up. Keeping the property’s electricals regularly maintained by a licensed professional will save landlords time and issues year-round.

4. It’s done right.

DIY usually involves a bit of guesswork. Professional electricians have the proper equipment and knowledge to pinpoint the precise nature of an electrical problem. Without the right gear and experience, DIYers are working in the dark and risk making mistakes. Making the wrong diagnosis or trying to improvise a fix puts the DIYer at risk of injury and even death. And faulty work that hasn’t been checked by a licensed professional could cause an accident later on, harming the people living in the home. Always hire a properly licensed electrician and get the job done right, first time.

5. It meets legal standards.

DIY done by a non-qualified person can have legal consequences. Minor chores like changing a light bulb can usually be done without too much fuss. But did you know there are fines of up to $100,000 for doing wiring without a license? And if electrical work performed by an unlicensed person leads to injury or death, the person who did the DIY faces up to two years jail time. Don’t risk it! Property managers and landlords have a duty of care to ensure the electrical work carried out at a rental property is done to a professional standard to keep occupants safe. To avoid the risk of legal exposure, only allow a licensed professional to touch the electrics.

Tougher rules on electrical safety: New responsibilities for landlords and property managers

From 29 March 2021, changes to the RTA (Vic) will represent tighter rules on electrical safety. Under the new legislation, an electrical safety service at least every two years will be a mandatory requirement for rental properties in Victoria. The services must be carried out be a licensed or registered electrician and apply to all electrical installations, fittings and appliances.

Renters will also have the right to request the date of the last safety service for both gas and electrical. If the last check has not been conducted within two years of a new renter taking up occupancy of a property, there is an obligation to have the service conducted as soon as practicable. Organising services and keeping appropriate records to meet the new legislation represents a huge administrative burden for property owners and managers.

The hassle-free solution for safer homes

Detector Inspector has created a tailored solution that’s safe, affordable and saves time and hassle. Victorian properties enrolled in our electrical safety service undergo a full safety check every two years, completed in accordance with all applicable standards, codes and legislation. (See what’s included here.)

Our system automatically rolls over the service to ensure that all properties are kept up to date and compliant year-round, with minimal administration for property managers. A predictable, low annual fee allows landlords to budget with no surprises.

Our safer home package for Victorian customers bundles electrical services with mandatory gas and smoke alarm services for a single fee, saving even more money and the hassle of dealing with multiple service providers.

Landlords—don’t be tempted to DIY. Property managers—don’t let them! For complete compliance coverage and peace of mind, contact Detector Inspector by completing the form below and see how our electrical safety service beats DIY, every time.

Our Safer Home Package is a subscription service that provides Victorian property managers and their landlords with a total compliance solution across smoke alarm, gas and electrical services

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While you’re here

News
Carbon Monoxide: What it is, how it kills and how to prevent deadly leaks
27 January 2021
News
Property Manager Deep Dive – Our Electrical Service
10 December 2020
News
Property Manager Deep Dive – Our Gas Service
10 December 2020
Do you know what carbon monoxide is or exactly how gas appliances put people at risk? Do people really still die from CO poisoning at home? And what does the new RTA legislation on gas safety mean for property managers and landlords?
Carbon Monoxide: Carbon Dioxide’s deadly cousin

Have you heard of carbon monoxide? It’s often confused with carbon dioxide (CO2), which is one part carbon to two parts oxygen. Carbon dioxide is what we exhale every time we breathe, and it occurs naturally in the earth’s atmosphere.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one part carbon to one part oxygen. With its extra concentration of carbon, CO is like carbon dioxide’s deadly little cousin. It’s a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas, and if inhaled, it displaces the oxygen in a person’s lungs. This starves vital organs of oxygen and leads to carbon monoxide poisoning.

You might be thinking, “thanks for the chemistry lesson, but how does this apply to me?”

The thing is, carbon monoxide—the deadly, undetectable gas—is what gets emitted from faulty gas appliances into people’s homes. Inhalation of this gas can overcome a person in minutes, causing serious illness and death.

Does Carbon Monoxide really kill that many people?

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the stuff of nightmares, but does it really happen in modern homes in Australia? The short answer is yes.

In the past decade, countless Australians have suffered and even died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. In Victoria alone, at least nine people have died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning since 2000 and hundreds more have been admitted to hospital.

In 2015, following a string of tragic carbon monoxide incidents, the Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources teamed up with Energy Safe Victoria. They spearheaded a safety campaign to educate unaware residents, landlords and property managers about the dangers relating to carbon monoxide poisoning from gas heaters and other gas appliances. The main recommendation of the campaign was that householders “find a gasfitter in the local area and have gas heaters serviced at least every two years” (Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, May 2015).

As Australia’s leading residential safety and compliance service provider, Detector Inspector has inspected thousands of homes for gas safety. Our data reveals that at least 1 in every 10 rental properties has a critical gas safety issue posing a significant health risk to the occupants.

So how do you keep people safe?

As a landlord or property manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure that gas appliances are checked regularly and meet compliance standards. From March 29, 2021, new inclusions in the Residential Tenancies Act make gas safety checks mandatory every two years in residential rental properties in Victoria.

Gas safety checks and services must be carried out by a properly qualified and licensed gas fitter. Managing these services on time for all properties and maintaining accurate records represents a huge administrative load for property managers.

Detector Inspector’s Safety Solutions

To meet the demands of new legislation and take the hassle out of your hands, we’ve developed an all-inclusive gas safety service for peace of mind. Gas appliances are checked and serviced every two years in accordance with legislation, with minimal administrative hassle for landlords or property managers.

All Detector Inspector gas services are completed by fully licenced gas fitters who can provide on-the-spot carbon monoxide test results from each gas appliance serviced. All of our compliance services are automatically documented to create a digital audit trail in case of an incident, and automatically scheduled year after year to maintain uninterrupted compliance coverage.

Bundle gas, smoke alarm and electrical safety and get a package discount with a Safer Home Package, our one-stop home safety solution with a single low annual fee.

Most importantly, Detector Inspector services are about more than just ticking a compliance box. Regular gas safety checks save lives.

Prevent deadly carbon monoxide leaks before they occur. Contact us today to enquire about a gas safety service or a safer homes package for the properties you manage.

 

Are you one of our current clients? Contact your Account Manager to learn more about the legislation changes, our gas safety service or our one-stop solution; the Safer Homes Package.

Are you looking for a trusted provider to ensure that the properties you manage are compliant and safe? Fill in the form below and we will be in touch.

 

Our Safer Home Package is a subscription service that provides Victorian property managers and their landlords with a total compliance solution across smoke alarm, gas and electrical services

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You may know us as one of Australia’s largest smoke alarm servicing company, but we have employed electricians for much of the past 15 years and with the changing Victorian Residential Tenancies Regulations, we have been providing an electrical service and safety check since early 2020.

In this video, our focus is on providing property managers with the information they need to speak to their landlords about our electrical safety service. In it, we explain:

  1. Details regarding the elements that make up the service;
  2. Discuss some of the inclusions that we’ve added in to reduce the hassle for property managers and their landlords; and
  3. Let you know what actions we take when we find issues at a property and how we’ll make sure property managers are notified.
electrician testing power points
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Detector Inspector. We make safer homes.

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You may know us as one of Australia’s largest smoke alarm servicing companies, but in the 5 years since we started providing our gas service, we’ve learned that for us, for you and for landlords, servicing gas appliances is different, more involved and more complicated than smoke alarm servicing.

In this video, our focus is on providing property managers with the information they need to speak to their landlords about our gas safety service. In it, we explain:

  1. Details regarding the elements that make up the service;
  2. Discuss some of the inclusions that we’ve added in to reduce the hassle for property managers and their landlords; and
  3. Let you know what actions we take when we find issues at a property and how we’ll make sure property managers are notified.
20JG1110
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Detector Inspector. We make safer homes.

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The only constant in life is change and at Detector Inspector, being adaptive to change is in the job description.

But what about our brand? A brand is a funny thing. It’s hard to pin down what makes a good brand or a bad brand. In the end, a cute icon or a trendy font doesn’t change a damn thing. What’s important is what it represents.

And at Detector Inspector, how we want to represent our story has changed over our 15-year journey.

From one service in one place, to many services in many places.

From compliance at all costs, to safety first.

From a small company to a larger one.

From our people make the difference, to…..well, some things never change.

With change comes new possibilities and it is now time for our brand to reflect the company we’ve become.

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Our Safer Home Package provides ongoing protection for property managers and landlords by ensuring optimal safety and compliance.

Learn more
Detector Inspector is pleased to announce the successful integration of its technology with Property Tree’s cloud-based property management software.

The integration, completed as a part of Property Tree’s innovative new Partner Gateway, means that Property Tree’s clients can seamlessly connect to Detector Inspector via its DI Connect solution.

Further simplifying the safety and compliance obligations, this means that partner real estate agencies who also use Property Tree can:

  • Automate all updates of tenant and property details, such as name and contact details
  • Automate the update of key numbers and property manager details
  • Flag lost/archived properties

This brings the number of direct API integrations with leading property management software within Detector Inspector’s system to seven, with further integrations to be announced soon.

“Property Tree’s software solution is used by many of our partner agencies. The team at Property Tree have been great to work with and their ambition for their Partner Gateway is exciting. We’re getting a great response from our clients that use Property Tree and with our focus on simplifying safety & compliance for our partner agencies, the saved time and reduced hassle for our property manager is a win-win.”

Alex Ledda, Detector Inspector’s CTO

About Detector Inspector

Detector Inspector has been making safer homes for over 15 years. Visiting over 240,000 properties in the past year across 6 states and territories, Detector Inspector partners with property managers to provide smoke alarm, gas and electrical safety services, corded blind compliance checks and a range of further services to make homes safer for tenants and compliance simpler for landlords.

Click here to learn more about Detector Inspector difference.

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Our Safer Home Package provides ongoing protection for property managers and landlords by ensuring optimal safety and compliance.

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Detector Inspector, Australia’s Number 1 residential safety & compliance company is pleased to announce the acquisition of the business of Sydney Smoke Alarms & Compliance, further strengthening its fast-growing NSW operations.

Sydney Smoke Alarms, founded six years ago by two firemen, Andrew Webb and Frank Sako, built strong and trusted business relationships with more than 50 real estate agencies through responsiveness, great service and flexibility.

Andrew Webb, co-founder of Sydney Smoke Alarms said:

“We are delighted to join the team at Detector Inspector, who we’ve watched with interest over the past few years. We had a number of options, but ultimately, we wanted to ensure that our clients were taken care of by a company that shared our values of excellence in customer service and a strong safety & compliance culture and that was run by people who we liked and trusted. Detector Inspector had that in spades.”

Jordan Kagan Gescheit, co-CEO and co-founder of Detector Inspector said:

“Detector Inspector’s business is continuing to grow strongly, scaling fast in all markets. The opportunity to acquire the Sydney Smoke Alarms’ business together with the expertise, care and dedication of Andrew and Frank was an easy decision for us to make. Building off our scalable technology platform and growing team, our NSW business is going from strength to strength and we remain on the look out for further opportunities to accelerate growth in NSW and elsewhere in the near future.”

Jordan Kagan Gescheit, co-CEO and co-founder of Detector Inspector said:

“I’m thrilled to welcome Andrew and Frank and their agency customers to Detector Inspector NSW. I am looking forward to taking learnings from their rich experience over the past six years and showing their loyal agency clients how Detector Inspector can build on their legacy with our superior technology designed specifically to reduce the time and friction of safety & compliance servicing of rental properties for agencies and their landlords.”

- ENDS -

For more information

Simon Chamberlain
EGM – Strategy & Growth
simon@detectorinspector.com.au

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Detector Inspector’s top priority is looking after the safety of tenants, customers, our field services technicians and office workers.

Detector Inspector is an essential safety service and the demand for our services is a legislated requirement in most states. As such, we have continued to operate normally throughout 2020, albeit with some additional safety precautions.

We continually review our procedures as new information is released by relevant authorities and with the recent improvement in the situation across the country, we have updated our guidance as at 1 December 2020.

In full transparency and as a leader in safety and compliance sector, here are the steps we have taken to ensure the safety of our internal and external stakeholders, in careful consideration of current and relevant health advice from the Australian Government and WHO.

Changes to our services: what it means for tenants, landlords and agents
Our field services technicians visit thousands of properties across Australia every day. Below is a summary of our safe working practices.
  • All technicians have been asked to wear a P2 (or equivalent) face mask when attending a property or entering a real estate agency to collect keys. Masks may be removed by our technicians when working outside and while in ceiling cavities, provided they can be socially distanced from all occupants at all times.
  • We have provided alcohol hand sanitizer to all technicians and have requested that it be used before and after each service
  • If a tenant wishes to be present during the service, then we ask that they maintain at least two metres separation from our technicians.
  • Technicians are instructed that they must not engage in work if feeling unwell or if displaying any symptoms of flu-like illness.

If you’re one of our valued clients, we ask that you kindly notify our office immediately should you become aware that a tenant on our service is self-isolating due to actual or suspected COVID-19 so that we can put this property on hold and avoid our technicians attending.

If you have a scheduled meeting to discuss our solutions about the latest legislation changes, and you prefer to have this meeting via Zoom, Skype or Teleconference please let your Account Manager know and they will get in touch with you accordingly.

We appreciate that this is a community effort. Now more than ever we need to support one another as we navigate this moment together.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us via 1300 134 563 or info@detectorinspector.com.au

Click here to learn more about the initiatives Detector Inspector has taken to ensure the safety of tenants, customers, our field services technicians and office workers.

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Is your office still doing paperwork like it’s 2016? The explosion of prop-tech in the past five years has pushed a rapid transformation of the way Property Managers operate on the ground. Clients expect more efficiency and accountability from reliable technology-driven solutions, making property management an increasingly competitive game.

Compliance management is one of the biggest hassles for a real estate agency, but it’s also one of the most crucial services you provide. Technology-driven compliance management solutions can save huge amounts of time and energy, and help you wow your clients with a level of service your competitors can’t match.

Is your current compliance management system at the cutting edge?

These six questions will tell you if you’re using the latest technology in compliance management solutions, or if you’re lagging behind.

1. Is your compliance management fully-integrated with your property management software, without laborious extra data entry from you?

The rental provider must ensure a gas safety check of all gas installations and fittings is conducted every 2 years by a licensed or registered gasfitter. (The gasfitter will require a license/registration for ‘Type A Servicing’). The rental provider must provide the renter with the date of the most recent safety check upon request. If a gas safety check has not been conducted within the last 2 years the rental provider must arrange one as soon as practicable upon a renter occupying the premises.

2. Does your compliance provider automatically audit enrolments once a year?

To maximise landlord buy-in, our system emails all your non-enrolled landlords to opt them into our compliance management program. They can enrol online in just 30 seconds, resulting in a much greater uptake compared to paper-based mailouts. You can see which landlords have opened and clicked, so you can follow up outstanding enrolments more efficiently. And the system automatically does this year after year, so you know you’re covering your obligations to keep landlords informed and compliant.

3. Do you have an automatic online booking system that allows tenants to manage their own service appointments?

Our fully-automated digital booking system sends entry notifications for regular services at enrolled properties via email and text, direct from the system to your tenants. Tenants can confirm or change appointments themselves online. The convenience for tenants leads to fewer overdue jobs and a higher rate of ongoing compliance, all with no extra work from you – the system runs itself.

Good to know: Detector Inspector is the only service provider that offers an online booking system for tenants!

4. Does your current service provider upload service information on the spot to be triple-checked against previous records?

Detector Inspector’s technicians use our mobile app to upload every step of the service process into the system as they go, including time- and location-stamped photos of smoke alarms and appliances, so that service records are always up to date and nothing gets missed. The app also works as a training tool – techs are quizzed and monitored every time they log in, ensuring they stay at the top of their game.

5. Can you access up-to-date job statuses and service information online at any time?

You shouldn’t have to chase your service providers for updates. With Detector Inspector, your online portal gives you 24/7 access to information including current job statuses, past service records, key registers and more. It’s updated in real-time so you always know what’s going on. Have the information at your fingertips, when you need it!

6. Does your compliance management system create a watertight digital audit trail to fall back on in case of an incident at one of your properties?

Our technology records all of your contact with landlords and shows who has clicked through on your digital communication. The system tracks, checks and records every step of the service process at enrolled properties. All of this provides a detailed record demonstrating that you’ve carried out your duty of care to keep landlords informed of their responsibilities and maintain ongoing compliance. And most of it happens automatically, with minimum time and hassle for you.

Contact us today to ask about a custom-built compliance management solution for your office.

Industry-leading Property Managers need industry-leading compliance management solutions. Ready to get ahead of the game? Check out our solutions.

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Whether or not you are the next Heisenberg, your household likely contains dozens of highly combustible chemicals scattered in nearly every room. Most people are unaware of the chemicals in their home so they are equally unaware of how to safely use and store these chemicals.

When people think about fire safety in the home, they often think of the same few things- overcrowding electrical cords, kitchen safety, and the proper use of heating equipment. In short, people only think of items that directly produce heat.

But it’s equally important to be aware of ALL potentially flammable household items. This includes highly flammable chemicals that are used in almost every household.

These things include:

  • Fuels used for lawnmowers and power tools
  • Fuels used for heaters
  • Paint thinners and solvents
  • Cleaning products
  • Pool chemicals
  • Aerosols which use flammable propellant gas (cooking oil, hairspray, perfume)
  • Acetone (nail polish remover) and
  • Solvent based glues.

If not properly stored, chemicals may react with one another and spark a flame. If other chemicals are stored in that same area, a household fire can erupt within minutes.

Not only must these chemicals be stored correctly, but any rags used must also be safely disposed of. Rags used with volatile chemicals (petrol, turpentine, acetone etc) should be dried in a well ventilated area before disposal, while rags used with drying oils, such as linseed oil or oil-based paint, should be either immersed in water or spread out in a safe place to dry immediately after use. Failing to take these precautions may result in these rags spontaneously igniting after use.

Every household chemical has a specific list of storage and use safety requirements, most of which can be found on the bottle. It’s important to be aware of what chemicals are in your house and how they react with each other. Stay fire safe!

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Our Safer Home Package provides ongoing protection for property managers and landlords by ensuring optimal safety and compliance.

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RECENT POSTS

  • New rules on electrical safety make DIY a no-go zone
  • Carbon Monoxide: What it is, how it kills and how to prevent deadly leaks
  • Property Manager Deep Dive – Our Electrical Service
  • Property Manager Deep Dive – Our Gas Service
  • 2020 Detector Inspector Rebrand
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