REPAIRS AND FAULTS POLICY

Repairs and Emergency Repairs

Tenants must notify Wintersun Properites as soon as practicable about urgent repairs or faults by completing a Repair Request Form.

Section 43 of the Residential Tenancies Act provides the tenant with the right to undertake urgent repairs if the lessor has not taken action within a period of time to effect the repair.

Urgent Repairs (as defined by the Act) are been divided into two parts.

Firstly repairs that are necessary of the supply or restoration of a service prescribed in the regulations as an essential service. Regulation 21A has prescribed each of the following services as an essential service:
  • electricity
  • gas
  • a functioning refrigerator (but only if it is provided with the premises)
  • sewerage, septic tanks or other waste water management treatment
  • water supply (including hot water). 


Secondly those repairs that are necessary to avoid:
  • the risk of injuring a person or
  • causing property damage or 
  • causing the tenant undue hardship or inconvenience. 

It is a term of every residential tenancy agreement that if a need for urgent repairs arises otherwise than as a result of a breach of the agreement by the tenant:
  1. the tenant is to notify the lessor of the need for those repairs as soon as practicable after the need arises; and 
  2. the lessor is to ensure that the repairs are carried out by a suitable repairer as soon as practicable after that notification. 

It is a term of every residential tenancy agreement that if, within the prescribed period after the need for the urgent repairs arises, the tenant is unable to contact the lessor or, having notified the lessor of the need for the repair, the lessor fails to ensure that the repairs are carried out by a suitable repairer as soon as practicable after that notification: 
  1. the tenant may arrange for the repairs to be carried out by a suitable repairer to the minimum extent necessary to effect those repairs; and 
  2. the lessor must, as soon as practicable after the repairs are carried out, reimburse the tenant for any reasonable expense incurred by the tenant in arranging for those repairs to be carried out and paying for those repairs. 
The prescribed period, in relation to carrying out of urgent repairs means:
  • in relation to repairs necessary for the supply or restoration of an essential service - 24 hours.
  • in relation to any other urgent repairs - 48 hours or any longer period prescribed in the regulations.

This does not mean that Wintersun Properties has to repair the urgent repair in the time period, rather it means that Wintersun Properties will take action to have the essential service restored.

Acceptable action within the 24 hour period would be to:
  • clarify exactly what has happened
  • gain the tenant's consent that a suitable repairer be able to contact the tenant directly
  • contact a suitable repairer and instruct them to attend to the repairs
  • inform the tenant of the steps that have been taken to effect the repairs and provide some indication of when the service provider will be attending the premises.
After hours emergency repairs

Should an emergency repair be required after hours then you need 
to notify the appropriate authority and report the problem to the Property Management Department as soon as possible. 

In the event of a robbery or break-in you will need to notify the police and obtain a police report number. 

Fire
Emergency Services
Phone: 000 

Burst water main
Water Corporation
Phone:  13 13 85 

Gas or electrical problems
Royalty Gas, Plumbing & Electrics
Phone: 9451 7735 
(If the fault is due to an appliance belonging to one of the occupants at the property, then the call-out fee will be at your expense) 

Storm damage/flooding (e.g. roof damage or water rising) 
State Emergency Services 
Phone: 132 500 

Glass breakage
Dependable Glass 
Phone: 9455 3069