Information for Tenants
As a tenant, you have rights and responsibilities regarding repairs and maintenance for your property.
As a tenant you must:
- Keep your property reasonably clean.
- Report any damage to Housing Direct on 1300 137 677 or to your Housing Officer as soon as possible.
If you or your visitors have caused damage to the property, you may have to pay for the cost of the repair. Your Housing Officer will contact you to organise a payment plan which you can pay off over time.
Your Housing Officer is there to support you to keep your property clean, safe and undamaged.
Using local contractors, the Department will have repairs and maintenance completed within a reasonable timeframe. However, in remote communities, it is sometimes difficult for contractors to keep to these timeframes.
Environmental Health Representatives
Properties located in Aboriginal communities can have approved emergency plumbing repairs completed by a qualified environmental health representative. Approved plumbing work includes:
- Replacement of leaking tap washers, spindles, handles and shower roses (except when additional plumbing work is required).
- Replacement of “P” and “S” traps under sinks, basins or troughs.
- Replacement of leaking hose taps and hose tap vacuum breakers.
- Replacement of leaking cistern inlets, outlet washers and valves.
- Capping of burst water mains and damaged waste pipes (or sanitary drain) to prevent a risk to human health, safety, or a significant waste of water.
- Replacement of general covers, including broken inspection or gully mounds.
- Unblocking of waste pipes, drains, toilets, showers, basins, troughs, sinks and baths using plungers, flexible hand rods and or hand-held water hoses only.
In addition to completing emergency plumbing repairs, environmental health representatives are encouraged to report and/or request repairs and maintenance for properties in remote Aboriginal communities.
To report essential maintenance (including issues related to electrical safety devices (smoke alarms and RCDs), plumbing blockages, gas or water leaks, property security and no access to hot water or electricity) call Housing Direct on 1300 137 677 (then press 1).
To report non-essential maintenance complete and email an Aboriginal Housing Non-Essential Maintenance Reporting Form to the relevant regional Business Support Officer.