The short version: every managed property needs working, interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms, tested at least annually by a suitably qualified person, with a dated record. A failed alarm is an urgent repair — immediate, not 14 days. Across a portfolio, "we think it's fine" isn't an answer you can give twice.
The rule doesn't change size — your exposure to it does
The legal obligation is the rental provider's. In practice, you're the one who arranges the maintenance, you're the one a renter emails when something's wrong, and you're the one who gets asked first — by an owner, by Consumer Affairs Victoria, or at VCAT — "when was this last tested, and who did it?" A single owner managing one property can get away with a loose answer occasionally. An agency managing a portfolio answering that question wrong even once, on one file out of many, is the exposure that actually matters.
Where this quietly breaks down at scale
It's rarely one dramatic failure. It's the slow drift of annual test dates across a portfolio that started in sync and didn't stay that way — a property manager who left, a spreadsheet column nobody updated after a tradie's invoice came in by email instead of through the system, a new acquisition whose last test date nobody actually confirmed at handover. None of that is negligence. It's just what happens when the record depends on someone remembering to update it manually, multiplied by however many properties you manage.
A failed alarm is a same-day problem, portfolio-wide
A non-working smoke alarm is a safety device failure, which the Residential Tenancies Act treats as an urgent repair — fixed immediately, not on the general 14-day clock. If it isn't actioned and the renter arranges it themselves, you're reimbursing up to $2,500 within 7 days. Run that scenario across a portfolio during a period when your usual electrician is booked out, and "immediately" stops being a comfortable word.
Keep your panel — the point is coverage, not replacement
This isn't an argument for abandoning the electricians you already trust. Per job, you choose whether it's sent to your roster only, opened to the wider PropCommand network, or both. Keeping a smoke alarm job on your roster still means every one of your preferred electricians sees it and can bid — the network is there for the properties where your usual tradie is unavailable or a new acquisition needs a first check fast, not a replacement for who you already use.
- My roster only — stays with your existing electricians, visible to all of them at once.
- Whole network — for overflow, new acquisitions, or when your panel can't turn it around in time.
- Both — roster gets priority and a badge, network fills the gap as backup.
Every job that runs through PropCommand carries its own dated record automatically — photos, licensed tradesperson on file, sign-off — so the answer to "when was this tested" is a lookup, not a search through old emails.
See what a portfolio-wide compliance record actually looks like
15 minutes, no pitch deck — I'll show you how a smoke alarm check becomes a dated, auditable record across every file you manage, roster settings included.
Frequently asked questions
Do property managers carry smoke alarm compliance risk, or just the rental provider?
The legal obligation sits with the rental provider, but a managing agent who arranges maintenance is the one a renter, Consumer Affairs Victoria, or VCAT will ask first for the test record. In practice, the agency carries the day-to-day exposure across every file it manages.
What happens if a smoke alarm fails in a managed property?
A non-working smoke alarm is treated as an urgent repair under the Residential Tenancies Act and must be fixed immediately. If it isn't actioned, the renter can arrange the repair themselves up to $2,500, with reimbursement due within 7 days — a fast clock for a portfolio managing dozens of properties at once.
Does using PropCommand for smoke alarm checks mean giving up our existing tradie panel?
No. Per job you choose whether it goes to your roster only, the wider network, or both. Your existing electricians can be on the roster and get priority visibility — PropCommand fills the gaps when they're booked out, not instead of them.
This article is general information for Victorian property managers and is not legal advice. Confirm your agency's specific obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act and related regulations with Consumer Affairs Victoria or your own legal adviser. Current PropCommand fee terms apply during the launch period and are confirmed at signup; PropCommand may adjust pricing over time as the platform grows, and will communicate any change to fees directly to members in advance.