Video transcript: Renting: Repairs

Title: Renting: Repairs

Length: 1:02 minutes

Description: A man is in a room with a window, looking at a crack in the wall.

Voice over: Sometimes, things can break inside the home and you may need to repair them.

Description: The man takes his mobile phone out of his pocket and calls his landlord.

Voice over: The landlord must pay for all repairs, if it is not your fault.

Description: The man is in a room with a ladder by a window, which has a crack in it. The man pays a tradesperson to fix the window.

Voice over: If you caused the damage, you may have to pay for the repair.

Description: The pipe under the kitchen sink has burst and there is a lot of water. You then see the same pipe with only a small crack and a few droplets of water.

Voice over: Repairs can be urgent or general.

Description: The man is in the kitchen looking at the dishwasher, which has water spilling from it on to the floor.

Voice over: General repairs are important but do not need to be fixed immediately, for example fixing a dishwasher.

Description: We see hands typing at a keyboard, then an email from the man to his landlord saying he would like the dishwasher fixed as soon as possible. We see a calendar with 14 days crossed out in the month of February.

Voice over: If it is a general repair, you should contact the landlord or real estate agent in writing. The landlord has 14 days to fix the problem.

Description: The man is standing in his kitchen holding a bucket in each hand, trying to catch the water that is coming down from the leaking roof.

Voice over: Urgent repairs must be fixed immediately. For example, a gas leak or a leaking roof.

Description: As the man tries to catch the water with the buckets, he slips and falls on the kitchen floor.

Voice over: This is because they can make your home unsafe or difficult to live in.

Description: The man is on his mobile phone, trying to call the landlord but the landlord is not at home.

Voice over: If you tell the landlord or real estate agent about an urgent repair, they must respond immediately.

Description: We see hands holding a mobile phone, then a message on the phone that says the man is paying $1800 to get the leaking roof fixed. The man then sends the receipt for the $1800 to his landlord.

Voice over: If they do not, you can pay up to $1800 to fix the problem, and then send the receipt to the landlord or agent. They have 14 days to pay you back.

Voice over: Contact Consumer Affairs Victoria for information and advice.

Description: We see the Consumer Affairs Victoria logo, website details consumer.vic.gov.au and phone number 1300 55 81 81.