Landlord Will Not Fix Repairs: How to Send a Formal Repair Request with a Deadline

Your rental has a leak, the hot water stopped working, there’s mould spreading in the bathroom, or the air conditioner died in summer — and your landlord or property manager is not fixing it. You have asked by text, by email, maybe even by phone. Nothing happens, or they keep saying “we’ll look into it” and time goes by.

Claim Done drafts a formal written repair request for $29. The letter is for renters anywhere in Australia whose landlord or real estate agent has ignored or delayed urgent or non-urgent repairs. It sets out the problem clearly, refers to your state’s tenancy law, gives the landlord a reasonable deadline to fix it, and explains what you may do if they do not. You read the letter before it is final, approve it, and we email it to your landlord or agent for you — or you download it and send it yourself.

Why a Formal Written Repair Request Helps

A text or a verbal mention is easy to ignore or forget. A formal written letter creates a dated record that the landlord received notice of the problem and that you gave them a reasonable opportunity to fix it.

Residential tenancy legislation in each state and territory generally requires landlords to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair and fit to live in. Putting a repair request in writing with a deadline creates a record that may be useful if you later apply to a tribunal for a repair order, a rent reduction or compensation.

What the Repair Request Letter Contains

The letter Claim Done drafts from your answers includes:

• A clear description of the problem: what is broken, leaking, not working or unsafe, and where it is in the property
• When you first reported it: the dates you told the landlord or agent, and how (text, email, phone, in person)
• Why it needs fixing: whether it affects your health, safety, use of the property, or is causing damage
• Your state’s legal obligation: a reference to the landlord’s repair and maintenance duty under your state’s residential tenancies legislation
• A reasonable deadline: a deadline for the landlord to arrange the repair, set according to how urgent the problem is
• What you may do next: that you may apply to the tribunal for a repair order, a rent reduction or compensation if the repair is not done by the deadline

You answer plain questions about the property, the problem, when you reported it and what the landlord said. The letter is written in a calm, professional tone.

How Urgent Is the Repair?

Tenancy laws in many states divide repairs into urgent and non-urgent, and the definitions differ from state to state.

Urgent repairs are commonly treated as including:

• Burst water pipes, serious leaks or flooding
• A blocked or broken toilet (if it is the only one)
• A serious roof leak
• A gas leak
• A dangerous electrical fault
• Serious storm or fire damage
• Failure or breakdown of hot water, heating, cooling or cooking appliances (depending on the season and the state)
• Anything that makes the property unsafe or unliveable

For urgent repairs, the expected response time is short — as soon as practicable. Some states allow a tenant to arrange an urgent repair themselves, up to a limit set by that state’s law, and seek the cost from the landlord if the landlord cannot be contacted. Check your state’s rules before arranging any repair yourself.

Non-urgent repairs cover everything else: a dripping tap, a broken blind, a cracked tile, a door that sticks, peeling paint, a faulty light fitting. A longer response time is generally expected, and what is reasonable depends on the repair and your state’s rules.

The letter Claim Done drafts reflects the urgency of your problem and sets a deadline that matches it.

The Legal Basis: Your State’s Tenancy Law

Every Australian state and territory has residential tenancies legislation that sets out landlords’ obligations.

Landlords are generally required to:

• Keep the property in a reasonable state of repair, having regard to its age and condition at the start of the tenancy
• Ensure the property is fit to live in
• Comply with health and safety laws
• Maintain the property so it does not deteriorate beyond reasonable wear and tear

If a landlord does not meet these obligations, a tenant may be able to apply to the state’s tribunal for orders that the landlord carry out the repairs, reduce the rent until the repairs are done, or pay compensation. What a tribunal orders depends on the facts and your state’s law.

A formal repair request letter is a common first step. A tribunal may ask whether the tenant gave the landlord written notice and a reasonable opportunity to fix the problem, and this letter is a record of that notice.

Steps to Send a Formal Repair Request

Step 1: Gather your information

Before you start the letter, collect:

• The dates you first reported the problem and any follow-up
• Copies of any texts, emails or maintenance requests you sent
• Photos or videos of the problem
• The landlord’s or agent’s email address

Step 2: Answer the questions on Claim Done

The questions are in plain English. You describe the property, the problem, when you reported it, what the landlord said (if anything), and how urgent the repair is.

Step 3: Review and approve the letter

You read the letter before it is final. You can ask for changes if something is not quite right. Once you approve it, we email it to your landlord or agent for you — or you download it as a PDF and send it yourself.

Step 4: Keep a copy and wait for the deadline

Save a copy of the letter and the email confirmation. If the landlord does not respond or does not arrange the repair by the deadline, you have a clear record you can take to the tribunal.

What Happens After You Send the Letter

The landlord may:

• Arrange the repair
• Contact you to discuss the problem or negotiate a timeline
• Ask for more information or photos
• Dispute that the repair is their responsibility (for example, if they say you caused the damage)

If the landlord still does nothing, or refuses to do the repair, you can consider applying to your state’s tribunal for a repair order. The formal letter you sent is evidence that you gave the landlord notice and an opportunity to fix the problem.

In some states, you may also be able to apply for a rent reduction while the problem continues, or for compensation if the failure to repair has cost you money (for example, spoiled food because the fridge stopped working, or accommodation costs because the property was unliveable). Whether this is available depends on your state’s law and the facts.

Free vs Paid: Why Pay for a Repair Request Letter?

You can write a repair request yourself. Put the problem in an email, refer to your earlier reports, give a deadline and say you may apply to the tribunal if the repair is not done.

What you get for $29 with Claim Done:

• A structured letter that covers the matters a tribunal may look for
• A reference to the provision of your state’s tenancy legislation that applies
• A tone that is firm but not aggressive
• A deadline that matches the urgency of the problem
• The letter emailed to the landlord for you, with a copy to your inbox, or downloaded as a PDF

The letter also saves you the time and stress of working out what to say and whether you have covered everything.

When to Skip the Letter and Apply to the Tribunal

If the repair is genuinely urgent — a gas leak, no water, a dangerous electrical fault, or the property is unliveable — and the landlord is not responding at all, you may not have time to wait for a letter and a deadline.

In that situation, you may wish to consider applying to the tribunal for an urgent repair order. You can use Claim Done’s service to draft your tribunal application.

For other situations — non-urgent repairs, problems that have dragged on, or a landlord who keeps promising to fix it but never does — a formal repair request with a deadline is a common first step.

What You Need to Start

To draft your repair request letter on Claim Done, you need:

• The rental property address
• A description of the problem
• The dates you first reported it and any follow-up
• The landlord’s or agent’s name and email address
• How urgent the repair is

The rest is handled by the questions, and the letter is drafted from your answers.

How Claim Done Helps

Claim Done is not a law firm, and this page is general information, not legal advice. We help renters across Australia prepare clear, professional repair request letters from their answers to plain questions. The letter is drafted with reference to Australian tenancy law and written in a calm, direct tone.

You read and approve the letter before it is sent. You stay in control.

The price is fixed at $29. There is no subscription, no hidden fee, no follow-up call.

Start Your Repair Request Letter Now

If your landlord or agent is ignoring repairs, a formal written request with a deadline is one way to put the problem on the record — and to build the evidence you may need for a tribunal application.

Get your repair request letter drafted for $29. Answer plain questions, approve the letter, and we email it to your landlord for you. Start your repair request letter now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a repair request letter myself without paying?

Yes, you can write and send your own repair request by email. What you get for $29 with Claim Done is a structured letter that refers to your state’s tenancy legislation, sets a deadline based on urgency, and is written in a professional tone. The letter is also emailed to your landlord for you, with a copy to your inbox.

How long should I give the landlord to fix the repair?

It depends on how urgent the problem is and on your state’s rules. For urgent repairs like a burst pipe, gas leak or broken toilet, a very short deadline is appropriate. For non-urgent repairs like a dripping tap or a broken blind, a longer period is reasonable. The letter Claim Done drafts sets a deadline that matches the urgency of your repair.

What if the landlord ignores the letter?

If the landlord does not respond or does not arrange the repair by the deadline, you can consider applying to your state’s tribunal for a repair order, a rent reduction or compensation. The formal letter you sent is evidence that you gave the landlord written notice and a reasonable opportunity to fix the problem.

Can I use this letter for urgent repairs?

Yes, but if the repair is genuinely urgent and the landlord is not responding at all, you may not have time to wait for a letter and a deadline. In that case, you may wish to consider applying to the tribunal for an urgent repair order. Where the landlord is contactable but slow to act, a formal letter with a short deadline may help move things along.

Does the letter work in every state?

The letter is drafted to match your state or territory’s residential tenancies legislation and refers to the landlord’s repair obligations under your local law. Claim Done’s repair request service is available to renters anywhere in Australia.