Repair Tips

Before Lodging a Repair Request

Before lodging your Maintenance Request, please have a look at the repair tips below.  These may assist you with fixing the problem yourself and avoid an unnecessary call out.  Unnecessary call outs could result in you receiving a bill and certainly results in some frustration for all concerned.

Some Lights / Power Points are Not Working

• Check the main meter/fuse box.  If there has been an overload, one or more safety switches may need resetting.
• Have you replaced relevant light globes?

Electric Stove Element is Not Working

• Check the connections to make sure they are not loose or dirty.  Sometimes simply pulling the element out and cleaning it can fix the problem.

No Hot Water

• Check that the gas/electricity is connected and working.
• Check that the water tap on the hot water system itself is turned on.
• If it's electric, check the main switch/fuse in the meter/fuse box and try resetting it if it's off.
• If it's electric, briefly release the copper valve on the overflow pipe until a flow of water starts coming out. This commonly needs to be done every six months or so.
• If it's gas, check to see if the pilot light has gone out.  Some gas hot water systems can be easily relit, while others may require a tradesperson.

Kitchen / Bathroom Sink is Blocked

• Try pouring boiling water or a supermarket drain cleaning product down the sink.
• Clean out the U-bend.  Put a bucket under the drain pipe, unscrew the pipe under the sink (where possible) and remove hair, old soap, and all the greasy sludge. Then re-screw the pipe back together.  Pour more boiling water down the drain to finish clearing blockage.
• Do not put fat and oil into the kitchen sink as these will clog up the pipes.

Clothes Dryer is Not Working

• Check to see if the lint filter needs cleaning.  Dryers can automatically shut down due to overload of lint in the filter.

Urgent Repairs (extract from OFT Guidelines)

Residential premises must always be 'fit to live in'.  Landlords are obliged to organise any urgent repair, as soon as reasonably possible, after having been notified by the tenant of the fault or damage.  An urgent repair is any work needed to fix:

• A burst water service.
• A blocked or broken lavatory system.
• A serious roof leak.
• A gas leak.
• A dangerous electrical fault.
• Flooding or serious flood damage.
• Serious storm or fire damage.
• A failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises.
• A failure or breakdown of any essential service on the premises for hot water, cooking, heating or laundering.
• Any fault or damage that causes the premises to be unsafe or not secure.

How to Get Urgent Repairs Carried Out

Tenants can spend up to $1,000 on urgent repairs and be reimbursed within 14 days by the landlord. 
The landlord or agent must first be given a reasonable opportunity to arrange the work, or if they cannot be reached, any properly qualified tradesperson nominated in the tenancy agreement (lease) should be contacted.  Refer to your tenancy agreement (lease) for more information.

Remember: if our tradespeople attend to your Maintenance Request and find the fault is the tenant’s responsibility, such as a faulty appliance, then you will be charged the service fee.