TENANT - Repair Tips

No Power?

• Have you contacted your electricity supplier? There may be a fault in the street.
• If renting a unit/apartment – have you checked with a neighbour? If in a block of apartments, it may be the Body Corporate that needs to be contacted for action. 
• Have you checked your fuse box? There may have been an overload and the fuse has blown or tripped and needs resetting.
• Have you checked that one of your appliances is not faulty? Unplug all appliances in the house. Reset the fuse in the meter box. Plug in an appliance ie: the fridge and turn on the power point, check the fuse. If the fuse clicks off then you know that there is a faulty with the fridge and you will need to get it repaired. 
• Otherwise disconnect the fridge and plug in the stereo and continue checking all appliances until the faulty appliance is located. If our electrician attends to your repair request and finds the fault is with one of your appliances, then you will be charged for the service fee.

No Hot Water?

• Is it Gas or Electric?
• Have you arranged for the supply of your Gas or Electricity?
• It is an Electric Hot Water System?  Have you checked the fuse in the meter box?
• Has someone turned off the fuse by mistake?
• Have you checked that the water tap on the hot water system itself is turned on?
• If it is a Gas Hot Water System. Have you checked to see if your pilot light has gone out? Some gas hot water systems can be easily relit – others may require a tradesperson.

Lights are not working or power points are not working?

• Have you checked your fuse box? If there as been an overload the fuse switch may need resetting.
• Have you replaced the light bulb?

Stove Element is not working?

• Have you checked the connections to make sure they are not loose or dirty? Sometimes pulling the element out and cleaning them and putting back in again can fix the problem.
• Is the stove set on automatic or manual?

Garbage Disposal is not working?

• Is it turned on at the switch underneath the sink?
• Have you attempted to reset the safety switch? This is normally a little red or black button underneath the bottom of the garbage disposal unit. You may have to get on your hands and knees to find the switch. This switch can be activated by an overload and simply needs to be reset.
• Is there a blockage in the sink/blades? IMPORTANT – Before putting hands down the sink to check for blockages, make sure the unit is turned off at the wall and unplugged.

Kitchen/Bathroom sink is blocked?

• Have you tried using some Draino to try and free the blockage?
• Have you tried pouring boiling water down the sink to free up old soap and hair?
• Have you cleared hairs and old soap from the waste & “U” bend? Put a bucket under the pipe, unscrew the pipe under the sink (where possible) remove the hair and old soap and re-screw the pipe back together. Pour boiling water down the drain, this should clear the blockage.
• Have you removed old food from the kitchen waste and poured boiling water down the drain? Do not put fat and oil into the drain as these will clog up the pipes.

Blocked Drains

• If a drain or toilet is blocked due to a foreign body being placed into the drain or toilet by the tenant then the repair bill will be payable by the tenant and not the landlord.

Gardening

• Unless otherwise specified on the tenancy agreement, all lawn mowing, weed killing and general upkeep of gardens is the responsibility of the tenant.

• If you are unable to regularly maintain the gardens and lawns contact your Property Manager and discuss options of employing a tradesman.