Tenant With Problem

If a landlord is failing to fix basic things such as leaky taps or broken toilet seats within a reasonable time (two weeks) then the best thing tenants can do is bombard them with requests and remind them that they could be in breach of the tenancy agreement.

As a rule of thumb, the law considers 30 days to be a reasonable period of time, but a shorter period may be more appropriate. For example, if your pipes have burst, spilling water into the unit, a day or two may be reasonable, assuming that the landlord can employ a qualified repair person within that time period.

The NSW tenant factsheet states that urgent repairs, including blocked toilets, are the responsibility of the landlord. When urgent repairs are required, the tenant must notify the landlord as soon as possible - preferably in writing.

Uninhabitable conditions can include dangerous ones, such as holes in the floor, unsafe or exposed wiring, or non-working air conditioning in dangerously hot summer months. Gross infestations of roaches, fleas or other pests are also uninhabitable conditions.

As stated in the Landlord and Tennant Act 1985, it is the landlord's responsibility to maintain their drainage, pipes and other areas of plumbing. If a drain becomes blocked through tenant misuse however, then the tenant is liable for the cost of repairs.

If there is a problem, such as a burst pipe resulting from the landlord's failure to maintain the property, the tenant cannot be held responsible. If a tenant has detected a problem and reported it to the landlord, it is the owner's responsibility to fix them.

When you rent, your landlord is responsible for maintaining the functional aspects of your home such as plumbing, electricity, and heating. Landlords must also generally take action when flooding, a clogged pipe, pest infestation, or other problems occur.

The landlord had a duty to reasonably maintain the property; The landlord knew or should have known of the dangerous condition; The landlord breached their duty by failing to repair/fix the dangerous condition;