Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I with hold my rent if the landlord refuses to carry out maintenance at my property?
A. No, it is an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Q. What action can I take if I have urgent maintenance?
A. Rental Hotline has an After hours emergency number.  Simply call (07) 3808 7588.

Q. While mowing my lawn, a stone hit the window and broke it. Do I have to pay to replace the glass?
A. The lessor on his householder’s insurance policy can claim Accidental breakage, but if there is an excess to pay on the claim, the amount of excess is your responsibility.

Q. Do I have to pay to get rid of spiders and mice?
A. Your house should have been pest controlled for cockroaches and silverfish prior to you moving in, however, it is the tenant’s responsibility to keep the property free of pests and vermin unless otherwise stated on the tenancy agreement.

Q. All taps at my rental property are leaking. I have been their 2 months, should I have to replace them myself?
A. If you noticed it when you first moved in you should have put it down on your condition report and the landlord would have been responsible for their replacement. However since a considerable amount of time has passed, you have diminished the landlord’s responsibility and should he refuse to replace them you have two options: replace them yourself or approach the Tribunal to have the matter adjudicated independently.

Q. Our hot water does not last long enough for four adults to shower at night. We often top up the system and have checked that the flow rate is correct. Is the landlord obliged to supply us with a larger hot water system.
A. Since you are maintaining the hot water system correctly, you can request that the landlord supply a larger one. However, since there is no actual fault with the system the landlord is not obliged to supply a larger one. If the landlord does not supply a new system, you may find that you will need to restructure your usage of the hot water.

Q. Recently I rang the agent to come and fix my toilet because it was blocked, they were very good and the plumber came out the same day and unblocked the toilet. All that was wrong was that one of my children must have flushed a toy down the toilet and it got stuck. My problem is that the agent is now sending me the bill for the repair, which adds up to $65. Why should I pay?
A. The reason the toilet was blocked is because your child put a toy down the toilet and flushed it, therefore the blockage was not caused by the toilet being used in its normal manner.

Q. What are my responsibilities as a tenant regarding excess water?
A. The owner is responsible for 170 kilolitres per 6 months and the tenant is responsible for any amount of 170 kilolitres.

Q. How much will I be charged for excess water?
A. 70 cents per kilolitre.

Q. Do I need contents insurance.
A. Definitely YES. Read more about insurance.