Emergency Maintenance | Meraki Property Management

During a Tenancy, you may encounter an emergency maintenance or severe weather event.

The first step is to understand what is deemed as Emergency Maintenance. This is defined in the legislation to the right.

In the event that Emergency Maintenance is identified at the property, the Emergency Maintenance Procedure will instantly be actioned and followed.

What is the Emergency Maintenance Procedure?

As Managing Agent, our duty of care is to ensure that all parties are meeting their lawful obligations outlined within your Tenancy Laws (RTRA Act). This includes protecting our Lessors from potential Loss or Liability, as well as Tenants from potential Risk and Injury.

The Emergency Maintenance Procedure is designed around Industry Best Practice, in addition to Legislative requirements, to ensure that Meraki Property Management fulfil their duty to mitigate loss, risk, liability or injury.

Download: Emergency Maintenance Procedure

30 Meaning of emergency and routine repairs – ss 214 and 215

1) Emergency repairs are works needed to repair any of the following –

a) a burst water service or serious water service leak;

b) a blocked or broken lavatory system;

c) a serious roof leak;

d) a gas leak;

e) a dangerous electrical fault;

f) flooding or serious flood damage;

g) serious storm, fire or impact damage;

h) a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises;

i) a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance on the premises for hot water, cooking or heating;

j) a fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or insecure;

k) a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a resident of the premises;

l) a serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area of the premises that unduly inconveniences a resident in gaining access to, or using, the premises.

2) Routine repairs are repairs other than emergency repairs.

BUSINESS HOURS

Should the Tenant contact our office to report maintenance that is identified as Emergency Maintenance, the following procedure will be followed:

A Maintenance Job will be created – Where necessary, the Tenant will be asked for more information and to complete troubleshooting. If we are able to get photos, these will be uploaded to the Maintenance Job and available for viewing on the Portal.
A Maintenance Request will be actioned immediately and assigned to either the Lessor’s Nominated Repairer, or the Contractor who is able to attend within a reasonable timeframe.
The Lessor will be notified via email that Emergency Maintenance has been reported and actioned accordingly.

Tenants are requested to ensure that appropriate action and troubleshooting are completed to mitigate potential loss for the Lessor and/or themselves. The Lessor will not be liable for costs incurred as a result of Tenant Damage or Fault.

Please Note: partial information provided above is sourced directly from the RTA Website, in relation to Maintenance and Repairs

AFTER HOURS

If an emergency situation arises outside of business hours (including public holidays), the Tenant is required to follow the below procedure:

Contact the appropriate trade from the Nominated Repairer list below and explain the situation in as much detail as possible; the contractor will either a) troubleshoot with you over the phone or b) arrange to attend to the repairs.
Send an email to our agency, or log a maintenance request in your Tenant Portal, with a detailed explanation of the situation and any action that has been taken. Where possible, provide photos of the event.

During business hours on the following business day, Meraki Property Management staff will lodge a maintenance job within our system and send an email to the Lessor advising of emergency maintenance reported at the property, following the procedure outlined in the During Business Hours section.

TENANT ARRANGED REPAIRS (ALTERNATIVE CONTRACTOR)

In accordance with Legislation, the tenant may arrange for a suitably qualified person to make emergency repairs they have not been able to make contact with the agent or the nominated repairer to notify them of the need for an emergency repair, or if the repairs are not made within a reasonable time frame after notice is given.

However, please note if the situation is NOT classed as an emergency repair and a tradesman is called out to attend, the invoice will be forwarded to the Tenant for payment. Any general maintenance issues need to be reported in writing to the agency to be dealt with on the next business day.

PAYING FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS

Should there be a situation where the tenant has been obligated to arrange for emergency repairs, and the tenant has paid the repairer accordingly, the tenant must give all receipts to the property manager/owner who must pay them back within 7 days.

Alternatively, the tenant may ask the property manager/owner to pay the repairer directly.

DISAGREEMENT ABOUT EMERGENCY REPAIRS

If the tenant and property manager/owner do not agree about the emergency repair, or if the tenant has not been reimbursed for repairs within 7 days, they can apply to QCAT for a decision.

Tenants are requested to ensure that appropriate action and troubleshooting are completed to mitigate potential loss for the Lessor and/or themselves. The Lessor will not be liable for costs incurred as a result of Tenant Damage or Fault.

Please Note: partial information provided above is sourced directly from the RTA Website, in relation to Maintenance and Repairs