General Repairs

If something in the premises requires maintenance, leaks or needs fixing you should advise your Property Manager at Raine&Horne Great Southern as soon as possible. We require all general repairs to be lodged to our office through your tenant portal accessible through PropertyMe. We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible.

Urgent Repairs Essential services

Essential services are listed in the Residential Tenancies Regulations 1989 and include repairs to:

a burst water service,
gas leaks,
broken hot water system,
sewerage leaks or
dangerous electrical faults.

Other urgent repairs are not an essential service, but if not fixed might cause damage to the premises, injure a person or cause undue hardship or inconvenience to the tenant/s.

If you are not able to contact your Property Manager within 24 hours for an essential repair and 48 hours for an urgent repair, you can arrange for the repairs to be carried out by a suitably qualified repairer to the minimum extent necessary.

Smoke Alarms

Should you believe for any reason the smoke alarm(s) installed are not working or the batteries are not functioning, please let Raine&Horne Great Southern know immediately. Tenants must:

test and clean (by vacuuming or dusting) smoke alarms at least once every 12 months
replace any flat or nearly flat batteries
advise the property owner/manager if there is any issue with the alarm (apart from batteries)
allow the property owner/manager right of entry to install smoke alarms
not remove a smoke alarm or the battery (other than to replace it), or do anything to reduce the effectiveness of the alarm e.g. paint or cover it.

Air conditioners

Please, regularly clean any filters and intake vents to ensure there is no build-up of dirt and dust, and that the air conditioner is able to draw in air effectively, not hindering performance, or in the worst-case scenario, causing the unit to breakdown resulting in costly repairs and/or replacement. Please also note that if an air conditioner breaks down due to filters and vents not being kept clean, costs to rectify the damage or even replace the unit may be charged to tenants.

Fireplaces

If the property you are renting has a fireplace, this cannot be used unless you have been given permission from Raine&Horne Great Southern in writing. Sometimes these are ornamental, or the flue/chimney has been blocked up. Using them could cause a fire to occur.

Strict No Smoking Policy

All properties have a strict ‘no smoking inside’ policy. If tenants still choose to smoke inside the property, they will be responsible for specialised cleaning and deodorising of the inside of the property to reduce and eliminate unpleasant smoke odours. This can easily run into the hundreds of dollars and is charged to the tenant.

Tenant Painting

It is Raine&Horne Great Southern company policy that tenants do not paint any part of the property themselves. Raine&Horne Great Southern have found in the past that some tenants have not painted the property to a professional standard, resulting in a professional painter being called in to rectify work. It is a policy that any painting can only be carried out by experienced, professional painters with Raine&Horne Great Southern’s written permission.

Fixtures and Fittings

If you wish to install or remove any fixtures or fittings, you must request this beforehand in writing to your Property Manager and it must be approved by the owner.

Picture Hooks

If you wish to install any new picture hooks, please let Raine&Horne Great Southern know in writing what type of hooks you wish to use. Please assess the type of walls that are in the property, and the type of picture hooks that are suitable. We will let you know in writing before you are permitted to install appropriate picture hooks.

Taps leaking

Please report any taps leaking either from a tap head or tap handles. This includes washing machine taps. Sometimes washing machine taps will leak only when connected to automatic washing machine hoses as the tap water pressure exposes leakage in the taps.

Outdoor Maintenance

The tenant is responsible for maintaining the lawns, gardens, and external spaces in a well-kept and orderly condition throughout the tenancy. Here are some recommendations to assist you in this endeavour:

Conduct periodic inspections of the reticulation systems and sprinklers to ensure proper functionality and alignment with the designated watering schedule. During the summer months, manual watering may be required.
Apply regular fertilization and weed control treatments to the lawn.
Routinely weed and trim garden beds and plants to keep them in a tidy state.
Perform regular sweeping of pathways to maintain cleanliness and orderliness

Should you wish to engage a contractor to regularly mow your lawn etc, let Raine&Horne Great Southern know and we would be happy to recommend a service to you. This is at tenant cost.

Reporting Maintenance