Rental Property Repairs and Maintenance: What Landlords Pay For, and the Urgent Repair Rules by State

The text usually arrives at the worst moment. “The hot water’s gone.” Or “There’s water coming through the ceiling.” If you manage your own rental, that message comes to you, and suddenly you’re wondering how fast you have to act, who’s paying, and what happens if you can’t get a plumber until Monday.

The rules are clearer than they feel at 9pm on a Friday. Every state draws the same basic line: you look after the property and its fair wear and tear, your tenant looks after the damage they cause. What changes from state to state is the detail, especially for urgent repairs.

This guide covers who pays for what, how quickly you need to act, what your tenant can do if they can’t reach you, and how to keep a clean record of every job.

Who pays for what: the short answer

Usually the landlord’s job	Usually the tenant’s job
Keeping the property in reasonable repair and fit to live in	Keeping the property reasonably clean
Fair wear and tear (faded curtains, worn carpet, ageing fittings)	Damage they, their guests or their pets cause beyond fair wear and tear
Appliances and fixtures you supplied that break down through normal use	Telling you about damage and repairs promptly
Essential services: water, power, gas, hot water, sewerage	Asking your permission before making changes or alterations
Meeting your state’s minimum standards or habitability requirements, where they apply	Minor upkeep the lease gives them (in SA, for example, tenants usually replace light globes, clean air-conditioner filters and do general gardening)

The NSW Government sums up the landlord’s side simply: you’re responsible for repairing and maintaining the property so it’s in a reasonable state of repair, judged by its age, the rent and how long it’s expected to last. Every other state and territory uses a similar test.

Fair wear and tear or damage?

This is where most disagreements start. Fair wear and tear is the deterioration that comes from normal, everyday living. Damage is something that happened because of carelessness, an accident or misuse. NSW gives some handy examples: faded curtains or frayed cords are wear and tear, while missing or torn curtains are damage. Furniture marks and traffic paths on carpet are wear; stains and burns are damage.

If your tenant (or their visitor) caused the damage, it’s theirs to fix or pay for. If it’s just the property getting older, it’s yours. A good entry condition report, with photos, is what settles the question later, which is why our guide to the end-of-tenancy condition report spends so long on this line.

Urgent repairs: what counts, and how fast you need to move

Urgent repairs are the ones that can’t wait: the property is unsafe, insecure, or an essential service has stopped. Each state keeps its own list (Queensland and the NT call them emergency repairs), but the core is much the same everywhere:

a burst water service or serious water leak
a blocked or broken toilet
a serious roof leak
a gas leak
a dangerous electrical fault
flooding, or serious storm or fire damage
the gas, electricity or water supply failing
hot water, cooking or heating not working
a fault or damage that makes the property unsafe or insecure

Some states go further. Victoria’s urgent repairs list also includes a cooling appliance you supplied that’s stopped working, a safety device such as a smoke alarm or pool fence not working, and the property not meeting minimum standards. Tasmania splits them in two: urgent repairs when an essential service stops, and emergency repairs when the property is damaged, such as a window broken in a storm.

How fast? Most states simply say “as soon as possible”. Western Australia is more specific: Consumer Protection says landlords must arrange urgent repairs within 24 to 48 hours, with 24 hours for essential services like water, power and hot water. The NT also sets a clock for emergency repairs: once told, you have five days to fix the problem or arrange for it to be fixed within 14 days.

What if your tenant can’t reach you?

In every state, if your tenant can’t reach you (or you don’t act) on an urgent repair, they can arrange it themselves with a qualified tradesperson and send you the bill, up to a limit in some states. This is how it works across the country.

State	Called	Most your tenant can spend	You must repay within	Non-urgent repairs
NSW	Urgent	$1,000	14 days of their written notice	Within a reasonable time
VIC	Urgent	$2,500	7 days of their written notice	Within 14 days of a written request
QLD	Emergency	4 weeks’ rent	At least 7 days to repay, after a written request with receipts	Within a reasonable time
WA	Urgent	A reasonable expense (no dollar cap on the regulator’s page)	No set period on the regulator’s page	Within a suitable time
SA	Urgent	Licensed repairer’s invoice, no cap stated	No set period stated	Within a reasonable time
TAS	Urgent and emergency	No cap stated; for urgent repairs, applies if you can’t be contacted within 24 hours	14 days after receiving the statement, invoice and receipt	Within 28 days (stoves 14 days)
ACT	Urgent	5% of a year’s rent (standard tenancy terms)	No set period; you’re liable for the cost and the tradie can bill you directly	Within 4 weeks
NT	Emergency	2 weeks’ rent, after written notice and 7 business days	As agreed, or as NTCAT decides	In a timely manner

A few things the table can’t hold:

Nominated repairers come first. In NSW, Tasmania and the NT, the tenant should try the tradesperson named in the lease before using anyone else, and in Queensland the agreement sets out whether you or the nominated repairer is the first call. So name one in your lease. It’s the simplest way to stay in control of who turns up and what it costs.
It has to be a qualified tradie. Plumbing, gas and electrical work needs a licensed tradesperson everywhere. In NSW you may not have to reimburse your tenant if they used an unlicensed one, didn’t try to contact you, didn’t give you reasonable time, or caused the damage.
SA wants a paper trail. If a tenant organises an urgent repair, a licensed professional must do the work and provide a report stating the cause and what was done.

Tenancy law changes often. Check your regulator’s page before relying on a figure: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT.

Non-urgent repairs: the everyday stuff

A dripping tap, a sticking door, a cracked tile. These still need fixing, just not tonight.

Most states ask for repairs “within a reasonable time”, but three set a clock. Victoria gives you 14 days from a written request. Tasmania gives you 28 days (14 for a stove). The ACT gives you 4 weeks.

If repairs drag on, your tenant usually puts the request in writing, and then can take it further: a complaint to NSW Fair Trading, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, or the RTA’s dispute resolution in Queensland, and then the tribunal, which can order the repair and sometimes a rent reduction. In most states the tenant has to keep paying rent while they wait. NSW, Victoria and WA all say so plainly.

So the practical rule is simple. Reply quickly, even if it’s just “got it, I’ll have a plumber there Thursday”, and keep the conversation in writing.

Getting into the property for repairs

You’ll usually need access to get a repair done, and that means giving your tenant proper notice unless it’s an emergency. Notice periods range from 24 hours in Victoria, Tasmania and the NT to a week in the ACT, and each state has its own permitted hours. Our guide to entry notice rules by state has the full table, including the forms.

Many tenants are happy for a tradie to come while they’re out. Ask, agree it in writing, and you’ll often save a week of back and forth.

How to handle a repair request, step by step

Acknowledge it the same day. A quick reply tells your tenant you’re on it and stops the request turning into a complaint.
Work out whether it’s urgent. Check it against your state’s urgent list. If it is, act now, and give your tenant your nominated repairer’s details if you can’t get there yourself.
Ask for photos and details. A photo of the leak, or the appliance’s brand and model, helps the tradie arrive with the right part.
Book a qualified tradie and agree the time with your tenant, giving the notice your state requires.
Decide who pays. Fair wear and tear and breakdowns are yours. If the tenant caused the damage, you can ask them to pay, with the evidence to back it up.
Close it off in writing. Note when it was fixed, what it cost, and keep the invoice.
Keep everything together. The request, the photos, the dates, the tradie’s details and the invoice. If a repair is questioned at bond time, the history is your evidence.

Your routine rental inspections are the other half of this. They’re your chance to spot a small leak or a failing seal before it becomes an urgent call.

Keeping track of repairs without the text-message trail

Repair requests often arrive as a text or a phone call, and the details drift. A few weeks later, it’s hard to say when the leak was first reported, or what the job cost.

If you manage your rental through PropertyNow, maintenance requests keep it all in one place. Your tenant reports the problem in their free tenant portal, with photos and the best times for access. Problems on your state’s urgent list are flagged urgent automatically, your tenant sees your phone number and any nominated repairers, and you get a reminder email if an urgent request is still unanswered after 12 hours.

You approve each request or decline it with a reason, book the tradie, and see your state’s entry notice period when you set the date. Every status change is dated and requests are never deleted, so the history is there if you need it. When the invoice comes in, it’s saved as a repairs and maintenance expense, ready for tax time, and if your tenant is responsible for a cost you can bill them for it. Maintenance requests are included in PropertyNow’s Advertise and Manage and Manage only plans (not Advertise only).

Repairs, improvements and tax

The ATO treats repairs and improvements very differently, so check which one a job is before you book the work.

Repairs and maintenance fix damage, defects or deterioration from renting the property out, such as replacing a cracked pane of glass. According to the ATO’s guidance on repair and maintenance expenses, you can generally claim these in the income year you incur them (for most landlords, the year you pay).
Improvements make the property better, more valuable or change its character. They’re generally claimed over time as capital works or depreciation, not straight away.
Initial repairs fix damage that was already there when you bought the property. They can’t be claimed as an immediate deduction.
Replacing a whole item (say, an entire fence rather than a damaged section of it) is usually not a repair in the ATO’s eyes.

Keep every invoice, and ask a registered tax agent if a job sits on the line. Our EOFY checklist for self-managing landlords covers the rest of the tax year.

The bottom line

Keep the property in good repair, act fast on anything on your state’s urgent list, and get everyday repairs done within a reasonable time (or the set deadline in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT). Name a repairer in your lease, keep every request and invoice in one place, and save your tenant’s damage for the bond conversation with evidence to back it.

Do that and repairs stop being a stress and become just another part of running your rental well.

Keep every repair on the record

Your tenant reports the problem with photos, urgent jobs are flagged for you, and the invoice lands in your expenses when the job’s done.

See maintenance requests

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for repairs in a rental property?

The landlord pays for repairs and maintenance, including fair wear and tear and appliances or fixtures that break down through normal use. The tenant pays for damage they, their guests or their pets cause beyond fair wear and tear.

What counts as an urgent repair?

Repairs that make the property unsafe, insecure or without an essential service, such as a burst water service, a blocked toilet, a serious roof leak, a gas leak, a dangerous electrical fault, or hot water, cooking or heating not working. Each state publishes its own list.

How long does a landlord have to do repairs?

Urgent repairs need to be done as soon as possible; in WA, Consumer Protection says within 24 to 48 hours, and in the NT you have five days to fix it or arrange for it to be fixed within 14 days. For non-urgent repairs, most states say within a reasonable time, while Victoria sets 14 days, Tasmania 28 days and the ACT 4 weeks.

Can a tenant arrange urgent repairs themselves?

Yes, if they can’t reach you or you don’t act. They must use a qualified tradesperson (and usually your nominated repairer first), and you reimburse them, up to $1,000 in NSW, $2,500 in Victoria, 4 weeks’ rent in Queensland, 5% of a year’s rent in the ACT and 2 weeks’ rent in the NT.

Can a tenant stop paying rent until repairs are done?

No. NSW, Victoria and WA all say tenants must keep paying rent while they wait. Tenants can apply to the tribunal for an order, and in Victoria can ask for rent to be paid into a special account.

Can I claim rental repairs on tax?

Generally yes, in the income year you incur them, if they fix damage or deterioration that happened while the property was rented. Improvements and initial repairs (damage that was there when you bought) are treated differently. Check with a registered tax agent.