Urgent Repairs and Emergency Trades List

What Is An Urgent Repair?

The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 distinguishes between urgent and non-urgent repairs.

All repairs are the rental provider’s or rental provider’s responsibility, but if the renter or resident caused the damage, the rental provider can ask them to arrange or pay for repairs.

• burst water service
• blocked or broken toilet system
• serious roof leak
• gas leak
• dangerous electrical fault
• flooding or serious flood damage
• serious storm or fire damage
• failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided by a landlord or agent for hot water, water, cooking, heating, or laundering
• failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
• any fault or damage in the premises that makes the premises unsafe or insecure
• an appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted
• a serious fault in a lift or staircase.

What To Do About An Urgent Repair?

If urgent repairs are needed, the renter should first take reasonable steps to arrange for the rental provider or agent to fix the problem.

If the renter is not able to successfully contact the rental provider or agent to carry out urgent repairs, the renter can arrange the works and the rental provider or agent will have to pay the renter the reasonable cost of repairs or $2500 whichever is less. Receipts must be kept to prove how much was spent, If a water appliance, fitting or fixture needs to be replaced quickly as part of an urgent repair arranged by the renter, the renter can have an ‘A’ rated item put in.

The renter has to give the rental provider or agent notice of what repairs were done and what they cost. The rental provider or agent has 14 days from receiving the notice to pay the renter for the urgent repairs.

Sometimes:

• Urgent repairs are going to cost more than $2500 or
• The renter cannot afford to pay for them
• The rental provider threatens not to pay if the renter has the repairs done

In these cases, the renter can apply to the tribunal, which must hear the application within two (2) business days after receipt. The tribunal can order the rental provider to do the repairs.

Emergency Trades List

Should you experience any urgent repairs please contact your property manager directly or the office on (03) 9571 6777.

In accordance with the legislation, if an urgent repair should occur whilst our office is closed, please contact the following: