Urgent repairs in rental properties

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, urgent repairs in a rental property are:

• burst water service
• blocked or broken toilet system
• serious roof leak
• gas leak
• dangerous electrical fault
• flooding or serious flood damage
• serious storm or fire damage
• failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided by a landlord or agent for hot water, water, cooking, heating, or laundering
• failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
• any fault or damage in the premises that makes the premises unsafe or insecure
• an appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted
• a serious fault in a lift or staircase.

If a tenant or resident requests urgent repairs, the landlord must respond immediately. All repairs are the landlord’s responsibility, but if the tenant or resident caused the damage, the landlord can ask them to arrange or pay for repairs. Set procedures must be followed when dealing with urgent or non-urgent repairs. Tenants and residents must continue paying rent even when they are waiting for repairs to be done. It is important for the landlord and tenant to communicate all information about repairs in writing, and to keep copies for future reference.