Repairs

Repairs

Report a repair

For general housing: email maintenance@hcau.org.au, or call 1300 321 185.

For Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing: email sda@hcau.org.au, or call 1300 412 484.

Housing Choices Australia has a dedicated maintenance team to deal with all maintenance related requests. work closely with a panel of contractors who help us to maintain our properties.

If something is damaged or broken in your home, you can call our Repairs and Maintenance Hotline on 1300 321 185 to get it repaired.

This phone number can also be used for after-hours emergency repairs. Our after-hours service will only respond to reports involving the failure or breakdown of an essential service that may affect your safety or security, for example the breakdown of your gas, electricity or water supply.

In the case where damage has been caused due to extreme weather, for example flood or storm damage, please contact the emergency services in your area.

When you are reporting a repair to us, try to give us as much detail as you can. Please provide clear details of the issue, stating the exact nature of the fault or problem. The more we know about the problem, the easier it will be for us to fix it quickly.

Please ensure you allow contractors to access your property to undertake any repairs, inspections or maintenance required for your property.
The time it will take to complete your repairs will depend on the type of repairs that are required.

What is an urgent repair?

Urgent repairs are those that affect safety or security. This can also include the failure of an essential service.  These repairs will be attended to within 24 hours of your request.

  • a burst water service
  • a blocked or broken toilet system
  • a serious roof leak
  • a gas leak
  • a dangerous electrical fault
  • flooding or serious flood damage
  • serious storm or fire damage
  • a failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance for hot water, water, cooking, heating or doing laundry
  • the failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity, or water supply
  • any fault or damage in the premises that makes the premises unsafe or not secure
  • any fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe due to a pest infestation or the presence of mould or damp caused by or related to the building structure
  • an appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted
  • a serious fault in a lift or staircase.

What is a priority repair?

We aim to attend to priority repairs before they turn into a more significant problem. These repairs will be attended to within 7 days of your request.

  • a dripping tap
  • a slow leak of the toilet or taps
  • the trimming of shrubs or trees over 2 metres that could potentially be dangerous
  • air-conditioner repairs or heating
  • repairs to locks and doors where doors cannot be opened or premises are not secure
  • a faulty exhaust fan or range hood
  • a blocked toilet, sink or shower in an en-suite bathroom
  • a faulty cistern in an en-suite bathroom
  • a broken window blind
  • a broken intercom system/telephone/communications equipment
  • a cracked window or shower screen
  • pest control for apartment residents only
  • light replacement in areas of low light, e.g. stairwells, bathrooms and toilets
  • poor TV reception
  • flickering lights
  • overflowing gutters
  • faulty front sensor lights

What is a non-urgent (general) repair?

General repairs are repairs that are required to fix relatively minor damage, and that do not fit into the ‘urgent’ or ‘priority’ categories. These repairs will be attended to within 14 days of request.

There are some things you are responsible for, like replacing light bulbs, garden maintenance, pest control and general house cleaning.

Repair costs

We understand that over time there will be some deterioration due to the normal ageing process and use of the property. This deterioration is called ‘fair wear and tear’ and you won’t be charged for repairs and maintenance related to this.

You will be responsible for the payment of repairs if someone in your household has caused damage to the property. Damage to the premises that is the resident’s responsibility includes:

  • damage that is intentional
  • failure to take care to prevent damage (neglect)
  • failure to keep the premises in a reasonably clean condition
  • failure to restore the property to the condition it was in at the start of the tenancy, after allowing for fair wear and tear.

The following types of damage are typical of incidents where the resident may be responsible for repair costs:

  • broken windows, or punctured internal cabinet doors and walls
  • burns or other damage to carpets that cannot be considered fair wear and tear
  • broken and damaged clotheslines and hoists
  • broken locks, lost keys or keys that have not been returned at the end of a tenancy
  • damaged or missing doors and security screens
  • damage to toilets and basins
  • sewer chokes caused by items flushed down the toilet, such as sanitary pads, nappies or toys
  • any costs associated with the removal of rubbish or property such as furniture or vehicles left behind at the end of the tenancy
  • any unauthorised or unsatisfactory additions or modifications made to a property.

Keys

No lock out service will be provided by Housing Choices Australia to residents after business hours. During this time, keys are the responsibility of residents; no staff member or external contractor will visit the property to deal with lost or missing keys. Any damage to the premises that arises from attempts to enter the building and/or duplication of keys, will be at the resident’s own cost and expense.

This means that, should you find yourself locked out of your home after hours (between the hours of 5pm and 9am), your options are as follows:

  • Call a locksmith at your own cost and expense. Residents are reminded that they will be required to supply a copy of their freshly cut key to Housing Choices
  • Wait until 9am and then contact Housing Choices who will arrange for an accredited locksmith or staff member to let you into your property. residents are reminded that there is a charge associated with replacing lost or misplaced keys. Residents are reminded that there is a charge associated with replacing lost or misplaced key

Housing Choices strongly advises that residents investigate alternative solutions to key management to prevent being locked out of your home, should keys be misplaced or lost.

Making changes to your home

A modification occurs where a tenant changes, removes, replaces or makes an addition to the property.

Residents may make certain modifications to rented premises without the rental providers consent, these include:

  • Installing picture hooks, screws for wall mounts, shelves or brackets on surfaces other than exposed brick or concrete walls;
  • Installing anchoring devices on surfaces other than exposed brick or concrete walls;
  • Installing LED globes which do not require new light fittings;
  • Installing safety measures (sensor lights, cameras and alarms) if they do not need to be hardwired into the property and do not interfere with the privacy of neighbours;
  • Installation of baby gates;
  • Installation of non-permanent window film for insulation; to reduce heat transfer or for privacy.

Housing Choices can refuse modifications if they will cause significant damage to the property, require additional modifications to other areas or common property, result in non-compliance with the law, will require extra maintenance costs if not restored at the end of the tenancy, or are not reasonably practical. At Housing Choices Australia we want to work with you to make sure that any changes to your home are safe, professional and do not damage the property. Any changes you wish to make please discuss with your Property Officer or Property Services Team requires Housing Choices Australia’s approval before any changes are made the work starts.

If we agree to approve the work, then in most cases you will need to cover the cost yourself. However, in some circumstances Housing Choices Australia may share the cost.

Housing Choices acknowledges that tenants may want to alter and improve the property to suit the needs of themselves and/or their family. Property modifications may be requested by Residents tenants to improve the amenity of the property or if they have a disability, medical condition or may benefit from an aide to assist with day-to-day movement and living in the property.

At Housing Choices Australia we want to work with you to make sure that any changes to your home are safe, professional and do not damage the property. Any changes you wish to make requires Housing Choices Australia’s approval before the work starts.

If we approve the work, then in most cases you will need to cover the cost yourself. However, in some circumstances Housing Choices Australia may share the cost.

 

General modification

 

Tenants can request improvements or additional features to their property. If the works are approved by Housing Choices, in most cases the tenant will be required to cover the costs of the work.

Disability modification

 

You can request – either for yourself or for a household member – maintenance works that will improve the access and/or amenities of your property. These works are generally requested because the existing housing presents a health and/or safety risk for the disabled household member.

For us to determine the urgency of the request, we need supporting information from a health professional, e.g. an occupational therapist or medical practitioner. This information must confirm the need for and urgency of the modifications, the type of modifications required and how they will be funded if the request is for Housing Choices Australia to complete the works.

Modifications that we are likely to approve:

  • grab rails, hand rails, hand-held shower sets, fold-down shower sets
  • re-location/replacement of door handles and locks
  • lever or cap stand handled taps
  • thermostatically controlled hot-water system to bathroom only
  • heating and/or air-conditioning
  • wheelchair re-charging facilities
  • strobe smoke alarms and doorbell
  • picture hanging

All modifications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.   To apply for modifications to be made at your property please complete the online permit modification form.

 

Important information relating to plumbing work

 

Gas compliance certificates are to be provided for any plumbing work. Only a licensed plumber may issue a compliance certificate.

A compliance certificate is the means by which a licensed plumber self-certifies that the plumbing work complies with all legislative requirements.

 

Important information relating to electrical work

 

Whenever a licensed electrician completes any electrical installation work, they must provide a certificate of electrical safety. This covers all work done on wiring where you can switch off the electricity at the switchboard. For example, this might include the installation or maintenance of safety switches, circuit breakers, power points, non-plug-in electrical equipment or lighting points within the house.