‘Unacceptable’: Aussie renters facing delays up to a year for urgent repairs

Renters in Australia are facing lengthy delays, sometimes up to a year, for their landlords to address urgent repairs in their homes, new research has found.

Data from Finder, Australia’s leading comparison site, revealed tenants across the country are experiencing significant delays linked to water leaks, broken appliances and mould.

Shockingly, of those who faced delays, 17 per cent said they had to wait more than a year for repairs.

Meanwhile, 11 per cent said they were forced to wait between six to 12 months for help.

“It’s unacceptable that so many people are forced to live with problems like mould and water leaks for months, or even years on end,” Finder home loans expert Richard Whitten said in a statement.

“These aren’t just minor inconveniences – they can impact a person’s health, their wallet, and their peace of mind.”

Jill has firsthand experience of waiting for repairs.

When she first moved to Sydney she and her then partner Emma rented in Ultimo.

“It was a two story terrace and the timber stairs to the second floor were rotted. Very badly to the point we’d avoid stepping over the section so we didn’t fall through to our death,” she told Domain.

Jill said Emma contacted the property manager over a number of months to get someone to come and repair the stairs. No one did.

“One day a piece of the staircase just fell down from the landing,” Jill said.

“Emma grabbed the rotted timber and drove to the real estate office to show them and demand some action. Someone came around the next week.”

Carina was also forced to endure nightmare conditions before her landlord stepped in.

“I lived in a rental back when I first moved to Sydney and during a week’s worth of wild rainy weather we noticed our walls looked like they were crying,” she told Domain. 

“We called the real estate agent and they said they would get back to us – they didn’t.” 

She said the day after the downpour, the ceiling in her rental property started to bow. 

“We called them again. They told us to poke a hole in the ceiling to let the water out while we wait,” she said. 

“Long story short, the ceiling ended up collapsing in the living room, we could see the sky. It still took 24 hours for the real estate agent to organise someone to come and take a look.”

Rachael is another who was forced to cope with a lengthy repair wait. 

She waited three months for the old lights in her rental property to be changed to fit modern bulbs.

During that time, only half of the lights worked in her living room.

“The worst part was that I could see in the app we use for requests that the owner had approved the quote for the job straight away so the three month wait was the real estate agent’s delay,” she told Domain. 

“I’ve now waited a month without a decent response about my kitchen light needing the same thing. I’m cooking and washing up in a very dimly lit room.”

The Finder survey included 1014 respondents – 333 who have rented in the past 12 months. 

Of this number, 44 per cent said they experienced long wait times for repairs.

Conversely, just over half (56 per cent) of Australian renters said they have not had to wait to get an issue fixed. Though, landlords themselves admit to dragging their feet.

A Finder survey of 148 landlords found 2 in 5 (38 per cent) have had a tenant wait longer than is reasonable for a repair in the last year.

Landlords cited the same issues as tenants: water leaks, mould, and broken appliances.

Whitten advised tenants to take a proactive approach to ensure their issues are addressed.

“Knowledge is power. You have a right to a safe and well-maintained home,” he said.

“Document all communication with your landlord or agent, send requests in writing, and if you aren’t getting a response, know your rights and be prepared to escalate the issue.

“If your landlord isn’t fulfilling their legal obligations, consider getting legal advice from your state’s tenant’s union.”

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