Repairs and Maintenance NSW: A Landlord's Guide

This article is general information only, not legal advice. The facts below come from NSW Fair Trading's guidance on repairs and maintenance. Confirm current details directly with NSW Fair Trading before relying on them for a specific tenancy dispute.

Who is responsible for repairs in NSW

As the landlord, you're required to provide and maintain the property in a reasonable state of repair. What counts as "reasonable" takes into account the age of the property and the rent being charged, so a low-cost older unit isn't held to the same standard as a near-new premium home. Your tenant has obligations too. They need to tell you about damage and needed repairs promptly, and keep the place reasonably clean day to day.

This is a two-way arrangement. You can't fix what you don't know about, and tenants can't reasonably expect instant repairs if they've never reported the problem. Good communication from both sides is what actually keeps a rental in decent condition over the life of a tenancy.

Urgent repairs: what they are and why the distinction matters

Some repairs can wait a few days for a tradesperson's schedule. Others can't. NSW tenancy law draws a clear line between the two, because urgent repairs come with a fallback option for tenants if a landlord doesn't act.

Examples of urgent repairs include:

• A burst water pipe
• A serious electrical fault
• A gas leak
• Any failure that makes the home unsafe or unable to be secured

If a tenant can't get you to respond to one of these, they're entitled to arrange the work themselves with a licensed tradesperson and seek reimbursement from you, up to a capped amount. That cap and the exact list of what qualifies as urgent can change, so always check the current figures with NSW Fair Trading rather than relying on a number you saw somewhere else.

Why you want to be the one who arranges it

Letting a tenant call their own tradesperson because you didn't respond is the worst version of this process for a landlord. You lose control over which tradesperson does the work, what they charge, and how it's documented. It's far better to have a clear system for urgent call-outs, a phone number, an email address, or a maintenance request feature that flags urgency, so you're always the first point of contact, not the last resort.

Non-urgent repairs: the paper trail matters

For anything that isn't urgent (a leaking tap, a cracked tile, a door that sticks) the process is more straightforward but still needs to be handled properly. The tenant should request the repair in writing. That written record matters if the repair drags on: if it's not actioned, the tenant has the option to apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to have the matter resolved.

From a landlord's perspective, this is where a lot of avoidable disputes start. A verbal request gets forgotten, a text message gets lost in a long thread, and suddenly there's disagreement about when something was first raised. Keeping every maintenance request in one place, with dates and photos attached, protects you as much as it protects the tenant.

Day-to-day practicalities for landlords

Set expectations early

At the start of a tenancy, tell your tenant exactly how to report a repair and what the difference is between an urgent issue and something that can wait. If they know upfront that a burst pipe gets a same-day response and a squeaky hinge gets logged for the next scheduled visit, you'll get far fewer panicked late-night calls over minor issues.

Respond quickly, even if the fix takes time

Acknowledging a repair request within a day or two, even just to say "I've received this and I'm arranging a tradesperson", goes a long way. Tenants who feel ignored are far more likely to escalate straight to NCAT or arrange their own urgent repair and invoice you for it. A quick response buys you time to sort out the actual fix properly.

Keep records of everything

Every request, every quote, every invoice, every completed job should be logged with dates. This protects you if a dispute ever reaches NCAT, and it also gives you a maintenance history for the property that's genuinely useful when you're budgeting for future repairs or deciding whether it's cheaper to replace an ageing appliance than keep patching it.

Use licensed tradespeople

Beyond the legal requirement around urgent repairs specifically, using licensed tradespeople across the board protects you if something goes wrong with the work later. It also gives your tenant confidence that repairs are being handled properly rather than as a quick patch-up job.

Common mistakes landlords make

• Treating every repair request the same way, regardless of urgency
• Relying on memory or scattered text messages instead of a written log
• Delaying non-urgent repairs so long that they become disputes
• Not confirming current reimbursement caps and urgent-repair definitions with NSW Fair Trading before a dispute happens
• Failing to inspect regularly enough to catch small issues before they become urgent ones

FAQ

Can a tenant withhold rent if repairs aren't done?

Withholding rent isn't the pathway set out for repair disputes in NSW. The intended process is for the tenant to request repairs in writing and, if nothing happens, apply to NCAT. Rent obligations continue separately from repair disputes.

What if I disagree that a repair is urgent?

If there's a genuine disagreement about whether something meets the urgent criteria, that's exactly the kind of question to raise with NSW Fair Trading or, if it escalates, to have resolved through NCAT. Don't assume either way without checking.

Do I need to fix cosmetic wear and tear?

The obligation is to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair given its age and the rent charged. Fair wear and tear is generally treated differently to damage or a genuine repair need, but the specifics of any particular situation should be checked against current guidance rather than assumed.

Keeping on top of it without the admin headache

Most repair disputes come down to poor record-keeping rather than bad intentions on either side. EZRENT gives landlords and tenants a shared place to log maintenance requests, track what's urgent versus routine, and keep a timestamped history of every repair from first report to completed job. If you're setting up a new tenancy or want a clearer system for handling requests going forward, you can sign up and get started, check out EZRENT's plans and pricing, or read more practical guides over on the EZRENT blog.

This article is general information only and is not financial, legal or professional advice. Rules, thresholds and requirements vary by state or territory and change over time - always check the current rules with your local tenancy authority or a qualified professional before acting on anything above.