Urgent repairs in ACT: what renters can do
Urgent repairs include: a burst water service, blocked or broken toilet, serious roof leak, gas leak, dangerous electrical fault, flooding, serious storm or fire damage, failure of gas, electricity or water supply, a supplied fridge or laundry appliance breaking down, no hot water, cooking, heating or cooling, and anything that makes the home unsafe or insecure.
Your rights in plain English
- Tell your landlord or their nominated contact as soon as you can.
- They must fix it as soon as practicable.
- If you can't reach them, or it's not fixed in a reasonable time, you can arrange it yourself up to 5% of a year's rent, using the tradesperson named in your lease (or a qualified one). The landlord must pay, and the tradesperson can bill them directly.
- Not resolved? Apply to ACAT, which can order the repair, a rent reduction and compensation.
Put it in writing, with your rights spelled out
Our free email tool writes the message to your agent for ACT, quoting your rights. Keep dated photos and a record you can use at the end of your lease.
The email tool is free. The $29 Tenancy Pass adds your condition report and dated record for the whole lease, incl. GST, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
What your email should say
- This is an urgent repair under the standard residential tenancy terms of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT), and you must carry it out as soon as practicable.
- If it is not done within a reasonable time, I am entitled to arrange the repair, up to 5% of the annual rent, and you must pay for it.
Where to get help
Access Canberra (13 22 81) · ACAT · Canberra Community Law Tenants' Advice.
Source: Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT). General information only, not legal advice. Last checked October 2026. Check your state's tenancy authority for your situation.