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Renting & TenancyAustralia
Rental Repair Request Notice (Australia)
A landlord must keep the rented premises in a reasonable state of repair — and when something breaks, your rights depend on whether the repair is urgent. Urgent repairs (a burst pipe, no water or power, a gas leak, a fault that makes the home unsafe) are on a fast track: if you cannot get the landlord or their nominated repairer to act, you can arrange the repair yourself and be reimbursed up to a capped amount — $1,000 within 14 days in New South Wales (s 64), $2,500 within 7 days in Victoria (s 72), the value of four weeks rent in Queensland. Non-urgent repairs must be done within a reasonable time, and if they are not, you can apply to NCAT, VCAT, QCAT or your State's tribunal for a repair order. This template writes the request with the right limits, reimbursement window and tribunal for your State.
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Repair Request Notice
Tenant's Urgent Repair Request Under The Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) · 11 June 2026
Marcus L. Adeyemi
18 Tennyson Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040
0408 217 663
marcus.adeyemi@email.com.au
11 June 2026
Innerwest Property Co
5/120 Norton Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040
RE: URGENT REPAIR REQUEST
18 Tennyson Street · New South Wales
Dear Innerwest Property Co,
I am the tenant of 18 Tennyson Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040. I am writing to ask you to carry out a urgent repair at the premises affecting the Kitchen and laundry. Because this is an urgent repair, it needs to be attended to without delay. Your obligation to keep the premises in repair is set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW).
I am the tenant of 18 Tennyson Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040. I am writing to ask you to carry out a urgent repair at the premises affecting the Kitchen and laundry. Because this is an urgent repair, it needs to be attended to without delay. Your obligation to keep the premises in repair is set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW).
1.
THE REPAIR REQUIRED
Type: Urgent repair
Where: Kitchen and laundry
The problem: A water pipe under the kitchen sink burst overnight on 9 June 2026. Water is pooling in the kitchen and I have had to turn off the water at the mains, so there is no running water to the kitchen or laundry.
First reported: 9 June 2026
Where: Kitchen and laundry
The problem: A water pipe under the kitchen sink burst overnight on 9 June 2026. Water is pooling in the kitchen and I have had to turn off the water at the mains, so there is no running water to the kitchen or laundry.
First reported: 9 June 2026
2.
THE RULES THAT APPLY
Urgent repairs are dealt with on a fast track. Urgent repairs typically include a burst water pipe, a blocked or broken toilet, a serious roof leak, a gas leak, a dangerous electrical fault, flooding or serious storm damage, a failure of an essential service such as water, electricity, gas or hot water, or any fault that makes the premises unsafe or insecure. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), urgent repairs are listed in s 64 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW); if you cannot reach the landlord you may arrange an urgent repair and the landlord must reimburse your reasonable cost, up to $1,000, within 14 days.
3.
THE REPAIR PATHWAY
For an urgent repair, urgent repairs are listed in s 64 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW); if you cannot reach the landlord you may arrange an urgent repair and the landlord must reimburse your reasonable cost, up to $1,000, within 14 days.
I have tried to contact you but could not reach you.
If you do not act, I may arrange the repair myself and seek reimbursement of my reasonable cost, as the law allows.
Nominated repairer: If you have a nominated plumber, please send their details; otherwise I will engage a licensed plumber.
Access: I am home and can give access at any time today and tomorrow, and I can let a repairer in at short notice — please phone me on 0408 217 663.
I have tried to contact you but could not reach you.
If you do not act, I may arrange the repair myself and seek reimbursement of my reasonable cost, as the law allows.
Nominated repairer: If you have a nominated plumber, please send their details; otherwise I will engage a licensed plumber.
Access: I am home and can give access at any time today and tomorrow, and I can let a repairer in at short notice — please phone me on 0408 217 663.
4.
EVIDENCE OF THE PROBLEM
I have the following evidence of the problem, which I can produce:
1. Photographs of the burst pipe and pooling water — taken 9 June 2026, time-stamped
2. Photo of the mains tap turned off — showing water shut off to the property
3. Voicemail to the agent — left 9 June 2026 at 7:10 am reporting the burst pipe
Photographs: I have dated photographs showing the problem.
Earlier notices: I phoned the agent's office at 7:10 am on 9 June 2026 and left a voicemail, then emailed at 7:25 am. I have not had a reply by the time of this letter.
1. Photographs of the burst pipe and pooling water — taken 9 June 2026, time-stamped
2. Photo of the mains tap turned off — showing water shut off to the property
3. Voicemail to the agent — left 9 June 2026 at 7:10 am reporting the burst pipe
Photographs: I have dated photographs showing the problem.
Earlier notices: I phoned the agent's office at 7:10 am on 9 June 2026 and left a voicemail, then emailed at 7:25 am. I have not had a reply by the time of this letter.
5.
ESCALATION TO THE TRIBUNAL
If the repair is not carried out, I intend to apply to NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for a repair order.
Note: Because there is no running water to the kitchen and laundry, this is an essential-service failure and cannot wait.
Please confirm by 12 June 2026 what you will do and when.
Note: Because there is no running water to the kitchen and laundry, this is an essential-service failure and cannot wait.
Please confirm by 12 June 2026 what you will do and when.
6.
RENT REDUCTION AND COMPENSATION
While the repair is outstanding, part of the premises cannot be used. Where a tenant is deprived of part or all of the use of the premises through no fault of their own, the tribunal can order a reduction in rent for the period and, in a proper case, compensation.
What I seek: a reduction in rent for the period affected.
Detail: I seek a reduction in rent for each day the kitchen and laundry are out of use, and reimbursement of the plumber's invoice if I have to arrange the repair myself.
Impact: I have been unable to use the kitchen or laundry since 9 June 2026 and have had to eat out and wash elsewhere.
What I seek: a reduction in rent for the period affected.
Detail: I seek a reduction in rent for each day the kitchen and laundry are out of use, and reimbursement of the plumber's invoice if I have to arrange the repair myself.
Impact: I have been unable to use the kitchen or laundry since 9 June 2026 and have had to eat out and wash elsewhere.
7.
WHAT I ASK
I ask that you confirm I may arrange the repair if you do not act. Given that this is an urgent repair, please treat it as a priority. I reserve all my rights under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), including to arrange the repair and seek reimbursement, and to apply to the tribunal.
YOURS SINCERELY,
Marcus L. Adeyemi
Tenant
Date: ____________________
TENANT
Marcus L. Adeyemi
Date: ____________________
Available as a print-ready PDF or an editable Microsoft Word (.docx) file.
What Is a Repair Request Notice?
A <strong>repair request notice</strong> is a tenant's written request requiring the landlord to carry out repairs to the rented premises. It matters because the landlord's obligation to keep the home in repair is enforceable, and a clear written notice — dated, specific, and on the right legal footing — is what starts the clock and, if needed, supports a tribunal repair order. This template produces that notice, treating urgent and non-urgent repairs on their separate tracks and applying the correct rules for your Australian State or Territory.
The crucial distinction is <strong>urgent versus non-urgent</strong>. Urgent repairs are defined by the residential tenancy law and typically include a burst water pipe, a blocked or broken toilet, a serious roof leak, a gas leak, a dangerous electrical fault, flooding or serious storm damage, a failure of an essential service (water, electricity, gas, hot water), or any fault that makes the premises unsafe or insecure. For an urgent repair, where you cannot reach the landlord, you have a <strong>self-arrange right</strong> with a capped reimbursement — $1,000 in NSW, $2,500 in Victoria, four weeks rent in Queensland — provided you tried to make contact and used the nominated repairer where there is one. A non-urgent repair has no shortcut: it must be done within a reasonable time, and the lever is a tribunal repair order.
If a landlord does not repair, the enforceable remedy is a <strong>repair order</strong> from the State or Territory tribunal — NCAT, VCAT, QCAT, SACAT, the Magistrates Court in WA, the Residential Tenancy Commissioner in Tasmania, ACAT or NTCAT — which can order the work done and, in serious cases, deal with rent and compensation. Where a fault deprives you of part or all of the use of the home, the tribunal can order a rent reduction for that period. The template assembles the evidence, names the tribunal for your State, and addresses the rent reduction or compensation where the premises are uninhabitable.
What's Covered in This Template
The notice applies the right repair rules for your Australian State or Territory and works for both urgent and non-urgent repairs.
All 8 Jurisdictions, Correctly
Select the State or Territory and the notice names the right Act, urgent-repair limits and tribunal — the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) and NCAT, the 1997 (Vic) Act and VCAT, the 2008 (Qld) Act and QCAT, and the equivalents in WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT.
Urgent vs Non-Urgent
Two separate tracks: urgent repairs with a self-arrange right and a fast track, and non-urgent repairs that must be done within a reasonable time.
The Self-Arrange Cap and Window
$1,000 within 14 days in New South Wales (s 64), $2,500 within 7 days in Victoria (s 72), and the value of four weeks rent in Queensland — with the other States noted and confirmed against the current limit.
The Nominated Repairer Rule
How using the landlord's nominated or preferred repairer first protects your right to reimbursement when you self-arrange an urgent repair.
A Dated Evidence Schedule
Photos of the fault, a tradesperson's note, and a record of when and how you reported it — set out as a schedule that supports a repair order or a reimbursement claim.
The Tribunal Repair Order
The repair-order route for your State — NCAT, VCAT, QCAT or the rest — for when the repair is not carried out, with a clear deadline for a reply.
Rent Reduction and Compensation
Where the fault takes away part or all of the use of the home, the rent reduction for that period and, in a proper case, compensation for the loss.
Word and PDF Output
Download the notice free as a PDF, or unlock Expert for the editable Microsoft Word (.docx) version and the full pathway, evidence, escalation and compensation sections.
How to Request a Repair
Five steps from a fault in your home to a notice on the right legal footing.
- 1
Select the State or Territory
Pick where the rented home is. The urgent-repair limits, the reimbursement window and the tribunal all follow from this choice.
- 2
Say What Needs Repair
Whether it is urgent, what is wrong, where in the home, and when it started.
- 3
Set the Pathway
For an urgent repair, the contact you made and your intention to self-arrange; for a non-urgent repair, the reasonable time you allow.
- 4
Add the Evidence
Dated photos, any tradesperson's note, and a record of earlier reports — the proof that supports a repair order or a reimbursement.
- 5
Send and, If Needed, Escalate
Send the notice with a clear deadline, and if the repair is not done, apply to the tribunal for a repair order. The template names the tribunal for your State.
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Legal Considerations
Eight jurisdictions, eight sets of repair rules — the State of the premises decides the urgent-repair limits and the tribunal.
This template provides general information for tenants requesting repairs in Australia and is not legal advice. Repair rules, urgent-repair limits and tribunal procedures differ by State and Territory and change from time to time. Self-arrange limits are set by regulation and should be confirmed before you commit to a cost. Always confirm the current rules with your State or Territory tenancy authority or tribunal, and seek advice from a tenants' advocacy service where needed.
Reviewed for Australian residential tenancy practice (8 jurisdictions)
Urgent Repairs and the Self-Arrange Right
Urgent repairs must be attended to immediately and carry a <strong>self-arrange right</strong>: if you cannot get the landlord or their nominated repairer to act, you can arrange the urgent repair and be reimbursed up to a capped amount — <strong>$1,000 within 14 days in New South Wales</strong> (s 64 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010), <strong>$2,500 within 7 days in Victoria</strong> (s 72), and the <strong>value of four weeks rent in Queensland</strong>. To rely on it you must show you tried to contact the landlord and used any nominated repairer; keep the invoice and receipts. The other States set their own limits, which the template flags for confirmation.
Non-Urgent Repairs and Reasonable Time
A non-urgent repair has no self-arrange shortcut. The landlord must keep the premises in a reasonable state of repair and carry out the work <strong>within a reasonable time</strong> of written notice. If they do not, the tenant's remedy is to apply to the State or Territory tribunal — <strong>NCAT, VCAT, QCAT</strong>, SACAT, the Magistrates Court, the Residential Tenancy Commissioner, ACAT or NTCAT — for a repair order, which can require the work to be done.
Rent Reduction and Compensation
When a repair is outstanding and it deprives you of part or all of the use of the premises — a kitchen out of action, no hot water, a room you cannot use — the tribunal can order a <strong>reduction in rent</strong> for the period and, in a proper case, <strong>compensation</strong>, because you are not getting the home you are paying for. The claim is strongest when you record how long the problem lasted, exactly what you could not use, and any out-of-pocket cost. The template sets this out where the premises are affected.
Related Australian Templates
If the dispute is about a rent rise, use our rent increase challenge. If it is about the bond at the end of the tenancy, our rental bond dispute application recovers it with the right authority and tribunal. When you decide to leave, our notice of intention to vacate gives the right notice for your State. Our residential tenancy agreement sets up the tenancy, and our landlord-side eviction notice shows the other side.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Right Limits, the Right Window, the Right Tribunal
Create your rental repair request notice in minutes — the correct urgent-repair cap, reimbursement window and tribunal for any Australian State or Territory, for both urgent and non-urgent repairs, with the evidence and escalation built in. Download the PDF free, or unlock Expert for the editable Word version and the full pathway, evidence, escalation and compensation sections.
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