Urgent Maintenance

On this page;
List of urgent maintenance
Organising and paying for repairs
Non-urgent repairs – link to Online Maintenance Request Form
Advice in a disaster

For urgent maintenance you can call our office during office hours; Monday – Friday 9am to 5:30pm; and speak with one of our property managers.

In the case of urgent maintenance needing to be actioned after office hours (being Monday – Friday 9am – 5:30pm or Saturday – Sunday) you can contact our tradesperson Mario for after-hours services on 0499 338 338. For all other repairs or maintenance requests please refer to the non-urgent repairs section below.

List of urgent maintenance:

Urgent repairs must be done immediately because they make the property unsafe or difficult to live in.

Anything on this list is legally defined as an urgent repair:

– 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
– an essential service or appliance for hot water, water, cooking, heating, or laundering is not working
– the gas, electricity or water supply is not working
– a cooling appliance or service provided by the rental provider is not working
– the property does not meet minimum standards
– a safety-related device, such as a smoke alarm or pool fence, is not working
– an appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working and causes a lot of water to be waster
– any fault or damage in the property that makes it unsafe or insecure, including pests, mould or damp causes by or related to the building structure
– a serious problem with a lift or staircase.

If you need further clarity on any of these urgent repairs please contact our office on 03 9390 9002.

Organising and paying for repairs

The rental provider must organise and pay for all repairs if they are not the renter’s fault.

If the renter caused the damage, the renter may have to pay for the repairs.

Renters must tell their rental provider or property manager in writing about any repairs that need to be made as soon as possible.

Non-urgent repairs

A request for general repairs should:

– be in writing
– include the date on the request

You can request general repairs through our Online Maintenance Request Form.

Advice in a disaster

Responsibility for cleaning debris caused by a disaster

The rental provider is responsible for maintaining the property, including cleaning or clearing any debris caused by a disaster.

Before arranging cleaning, the rental provider should contact the local authorities, such as the emergency services, who may already have a cleaning program in place.

The renter is only responsible for any cleaning that arises from their use of the property.

Repairs on a damaged property

If the damage caused by a disaster is relatively minor, the renter can serve a notice to the rental provider for the repairs to be carried out within 14 days. If repairs are urgently required, the renter should contact their rental provider immediately and explain that urgent repairs are needed.

Please be aware that there may be delays: it may be difficult to get tradespeople to a property, as many properties may need repair at the same time.

Rental provider inspection of damage to a rental property

If a property has been destroyed or damaged so that it is unfit to live in, a rental provider can inspect it at any time, as long as they have the permission of local authorities.

The rental provider should contact the police or emergency services before travelling to a disaster area.

The usual arrangements for inspections apply if the property is still rented and the renter is living there. A rental provider can inspect the property provided they give the renter appropriate notice.

Responsibility for arranging for utility services to be restored

If a utility service has been cut off because of damage to the property, the rental provider is responsible for repairing the property so the service can be restored.

If there is no damage to the property, the renter must contact the utility company and arrange for services to be restored.

Check if your rental property is in a flood-prone area

If your rental property is situated on low-lying land near a lake, river, creek, or storm water drain, it could be at risk of flooding.

Use the Victoria State Emergency Service local flood guides to check the local flood risk.

Be prepared for floods by signing up to VicEmergency’s alerts and warnings and create an emergency plan with advice from the Victoria State Emergency Service.

All information is sourced directly from Consumer Affairs, if you would like to view the information available from their site you can do so here.