Maintenance Information for Tenants

Requesting Repairs

All repair requests need to be reported to our office in writing. You can either lodge requests online or in person.

Online: Email prdnorthernrivers@prd.com.au or fill out a maintenance request form.

In Person: If you do not have internet access you can lodge your repair request at our offices – 81 Summerland Way, Kyogle; Shop 5/69 Walker Street, Casino; or 72 Molesworth Street, Lismore.

Please only phone us with maintenance issues if they are urgent (defined below). If you are unable to contact us at the office, contact the relevant emergency tradesperson noted in your Tenancy Agreement.

URGENT REPAIRS INCLUDE:

• A burst water service
• A blocked or broken toilet (if there is no second toilet)
• A serious roof leak
• A gas leak - immediately turn the gas off at the meter
• A dangerous electrical fault
• Serious flood, storm or fire damage
• A failure of the gas, electricity or water supply
• Any fault or damage that causes the premises to be unsafe or not secure

Please Note: Your maintenance will be attended to as soon as possible; it is often necessary for us to contact the owners to approve the maintenance, so your patience is appreciated. If your request is approved, a tradesperson (or in some cases, the owner) will be in contact to arrange a time to complete the work. Please ensure your best contact number is listed above, as the tradesperson will need to arrange access to complete the requested maintenance.

To ensure your maintenance is completed at quickly as possible, you can give us permission to lend the tradesperson a spare key so they can complete the work without needing to pre-arrange a specific time or date.

Before Lodging a Repair Request, please have a look at the repair tips below to avoid any unnecessary call outs, which could result in you receiving an invoice.

No Power

• Check with neighbours to see if it's a general blackout.
• Check the safety switch in the main meter/fuse box.  There may have been an overload and may simply need resetting.
• If it trips again unplug all appliances from the power points.  Reset the Safety Switch and plug in appliances one at a time until the faulty appliance is located. If you have a fuse box check this for a blown fuse.

Remember: if our electrician attends to your repair request and finds the fault is with one of your appliances, the invoice will be forwarded to you for payment.

Hot Water Not Working or Not Very Hot

• Check that the gas/electricity is connected and working.
• Check that the water tap on the hot water system itself is turned on.
• Check with your electricity supplier to see if you are on Off Peak, as some systems only operate during Off Peak hours.
• If it's electric, check the main switch/fuse in the meter/fuse box and try resetting it if it is off.
• If it's electric, briefly release the overflow valve on the overflow pipe until a flow of water starts coming out.  This commonly needs to be done every six months or so.
• If the hot water system is gas, check to see if the pilot light has gone out.  The gas hot water system can be relit by following the instructions printed on the system itself. Also check to ensure the gas tank is not empty and the flow line is open.
• For a solar system, try switching on the booster switch, especially if it isn’t sunny

Plumbing Blockages

• Try pouring boiling water or a drain cleaning product down the sink.
• Do not put food scraps, fat and oil in the kitchen sink as these will clog up the pipes.
• Nothing other than toilet paper and human waste is to be flushed down a toilet at any time. If a tenant flushes ‘flushable’ wipes, sanitary products, or any other items that block the toilet, they will be responsible for paying the plumbing bill.

Lights, Power Points or Appliances Not Working

• Check the main meter/fuse box.  If there has been an overload, one or more safety switches may need resetting.
• Have you replaced relevant light globes?
• For ovens, some models need the timer turned on before they will work.
• For gas stoves/ovens, ensure your gas hasn’t run out. Check the hobs are in the correct position and that the connector is clean. If the ignition switch doesn’t work, you can light the cooker with a long match or starter wand.

Air Conditioner Not Working

• Have the air conditioner filters been cleaned? This needs to be done every 3 months and is a tenant responsibility.
• Have the batteries been changed in the remote control?

Smoke Alarm Beeping

• Have the batteries been replaced? Tenants must replace the batteries every 6 months. If the smoke alarm is hard-wired there is a back up battery that needs to be replaced.
• Dust or bugs can get into a smoke alarm’s sensor area and cause it to beep – try gently blowing the debris to remove it from the sensor
• If your smoke alarm continues beeping, please report this to the office as a replacement may be required.

No Water?

Contact your supplier or local council

• Kyogle Council  02 6632 1611 / 6632 6800 (after hours)
• Richmond Valley Council  02 6660 0300
• Lismore City Council  1300 87 83 87
• Rous Water  02 6623 3800

Locks Not Working

If your key won’t turn in the lock, try lubricating the key with hairspray, WD-40 or graphite from a pencil to see if it will open.

Fair Wear and Tear vs. Damage

Fair wear and tear means the deterioration that occurs over time with the ordinary use of the premises even though the premises receive reasonable care and maintenance. A tenant is not liable for fair wear and tear, but tenants are liable for negligent, irresponsible or intentional actions that cause damage to the premises.

These examples may help to explain the difference:

Fair wear and tear – not a tenant’s responsibility

• Faded curtains or frayed cords 
• Furniture indentations and traffic marks on the carpet
• Scuffed wooden floors
• Faded, chipped or cracked paint
• Worn kitchen bench top
• Loose hinges or handles on doors or windows and worn sliding tracks
• Cracks in the walls from movement
• Water stain on carpet from rain through leaking roof or bad plumbing
• Paint worn off wall near light switch

Damage  - must be rectified by the tenant at their expense

• Missing curtains or torn by the tenant's cat
• Stains or burn marks on the carpet
• Badly scratched or gouged wooden floors
• Unapproved or poor quality paint job
• Burns or cuts in bench top
• Broken glass from one of the tenant's children hitting a ball through the window
• Holes in walls left by tenant removing picture hooks or shelves they had installed
• Water stain on carpet caused by overflowing bath or indoor pot plants
• Damage to paint caused by removing posters stuck with blu-tack or sticky tape

USEFUL NUMBERS

PRD:  Lismore 6624 7700 / Kyogle 6632 3380 / Casino 6662 6669
Ambulance 131 233
SES   132 500
Power:   Essential Energy 132 356 / Origin Energy  1300 880 976
Phone:   Telstra  132 200 / Optus  133 345
NSW Housing:  1300 468 746
Fair Trading: 13 32 20
Police Station: Lismore 6626 0599 / Casino 6662 0099 / Kyogle 6632 1444
Fire Station: Lismore 6621 5660 / Casino 6662 6051 / Kyogle 6632 2558
Hospital: Lismore 6621 8000 / Casino 6662 2111 / Kyogle 6632 1522