How fast does an Urgent repair need to be fixed

Depending on what has gone wrong and when it happened, there are no hard and fast rules. A tenant must give an owner a Reasonable Opportunity to have the repair completed before taking action themselves.

Both parties must act fairly towards each other and sensibly with the problem at hand. That means cooperation and consideration.

One night a toilet cistern stops filling, so the tenant fills a bucket with water to flush the toilet. The following morning the owner has a plumber repair the problem.

A water heater starts leaking so the tenant turns off the water to the tank to prevent damage to the carpet and the later that day a tradesman replaces the tank.

A tree branch falls on the roof and breaks roof tiles. The SES is called that night and puts a covering on the roof and the owners’ insurance organises tradesmen in the coming weeks to repair the roof.

What is sensible isn’t always clear when emotion is involved. The best way to think about what is sensible is acting as soon as practical to first minimise the risks to people and their property and then minimise inconvenience.

What’s fair can also get confusing particularly when self-interest is involved.

Best question to ask is, if you were on the other side of the relationship, would you wait or would you be happy to pay the bill.