Urgent vs non-urgent repairs: know the difference
Australian tenancy law divides repairs into two categories, and the timeframes your landlord must meet are very different.
Urgent repairs are those that make the property unsafe or uninhabitable — a burst water service, blocked or broken toilet (if it is the only one), serious roof leak, dangerous electrical fault, gas leak, or a broken heater in winter. In most states, urgent repairs must be addressed within 24 to 48 hours.
Non-urgent repairs are everything else — a dripping tap, broken window latch, faulty oven element. Your landlord generally has 14 to 28 days to address these after you notify them, depending on your state.
Knowing which category your repair falls into changes your entire approach. An urgent repair that is being ignored gives you stronger and faster remedies.
Step 1: Put your repair request in writing
Before you escalate anything, you need a paper trail. Many tenants make the mistake of calling or texting informally, then having no evidence their landlord was notified.
Send your repair request by email or through whatever property management app your agent uses (Inspection Manager, Property Me, Console, etc.), so there is an automatic timestamp. Include:
Keep a copy of everything you send. If you have already called or texted, follow up with an email that says 'As discussed by phone on [date]...' to create a record.
- The exact nature of the repair needed
- When you first noticed the issue
- Any safety or habitability concern it creates
- A clear request for the repair to be completed within the legal timeframe
Step 2: Send a formal breach notice if nothing happens
If your landlord or agent does not respond within the required timeframe, your next step in most states is a formal breach notice — a written notice that your landlord is in breach of their obligations under the tenancy agreement.
Most state tenancy authorities provide template breach notice letters. Download the one for your state and send it by email (keeping proof of delivery) and as a physical letter. This formally starts the clock on their obligation to act, and is often required before you can apply to a tribunal.
Your state survival kit download from the RenterSay resources section includes a ready-to-send repair request letter template.
Step 3: Your right to arrange urgent repairs yourself
In New South Wales, if an urgent repair has not been addressed and you cannot reach the landlord, you have the right to arrange the repair yourself and seek reimbursement for costs up to $1,000 (or the equivalent of one week's rent, whichever is less).
Victoria, Queensland, and most other states have similar provisions for urgent repairs where the landlord is unreachable or refuses to act. The key requirements are generally:
Check your state tenancy authority's website for the exact threshold and process before you proceed — the rules differ in the details.
- The repair must be urgent
- You must have tried to contact the landlord or agent and failed, or they refused
- You must use a licensed tradesperson
- You must provide receipts and notify the landlord promptly
Step 4: Apply to your state tribunal
If the repair remains unfixed after all of the above steps, it is time to apply to your state tenancy tribunal. This is not as scary as it sounds — these tribunals are specifically designed for renter-landlord disputes and do not require legal representation.
NSW: Apply to NCAT (NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal). Filing fees start at $55 for tenants.
VIC: Lodge through RDRV (Residential Disputes Resolution Victoria) first — it is now mandatory for most disputes before going to VCAT.
QLD: Contact the RTA for conciliation first, then apply to QCAT.
WA: Apply to the Magistrates Court (Consumer Protection can assist first).
SA: Apply to SACAT.
TAS: Apply to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner.
A tribunal can issue an order requiring your landlord to carry out the repairs within a specified timeframe, and in some cases can award you rent reduction or compensation for the period the property was in disrepair.
State-by-state repair timeframes at a glance
Here are the key timeframes for urgent and non-urgent repairs across major states:
NSW: Urgent — 24 hours (life safety), up to 72 hours (habitability); Non-urgent — reasonable time
VIC: Urgent — 24 hours; Non-urgent — 14 days
QLD: Urgent — 24–48 hours; Non-urgent — reasonable time (implied 28 days)
WA: Urgent — as soon as practicable; Non-urgent — reasonable time
SA: Urgent — 24 hours; Non-urgent — 7 days (in writing); 28 days (after breach notice)
These timeframes apply from when the landlord or agent is notified in writing. This is why step one — getting your request documented — matters so much.