Real Estate Agent Ignoring Your Maintenance Requests? Here’s How to Make Them Act

“I’ve logged it with the landlord.” “I’m waiting on a quote.” “The property manager who handled that has left.” “Can you send the photos again?”

If you have heard any of these, you are being managed. Not helped. Managed. The agent’s job is to keep the landlord happy and keep costs down. Your repairs are an inconvenience to them.

Here is how to stop being polite and start getting results.

The agent is the landlord

Legally, when you deal with the agent, you are dealing with the landlord. Anything you send to the agent counts as sent to the landlord. So “I passed it on and they haven’t replied” is not an excuse. The landlord’s duty to repair under the Residential Tenancies Act applies from the day you first reported it to the agent.

This matters because a lot of agents act like they are a neutral middleman. They are not. If they sit on your request, the landlord is in breach.

Why your requests get ignored

• Your property manager looks after many properties, and yours is one of them.
• Repairs cost the landlord money and the agent doesn’t like delivering bad news.
• A polite email is easy to file under “later.”
• Nobody has told them there will be a consequence.

The fix is the last point. You need to create a consequence.

Turn a request into a notice

A maintenance request is a favour you are asking for. A repair notice is a legal document. The difference:

• It quotes the section of your state’s Act that requires the landlord to repair (for example, section 63 in New South Wales, section 68 in Victoria, section 185 in Queensland).
• It lists each repair and the date you first reported it.
• It sets a clear deadline, usually 14 days.
• It states that if the deadline is missed, you will apply to the tribunal for a repair order and a rent reduction.

Now the agent has a problem. If they ignore this, the landlord ends up at the tribunal, and the landlord will want to know why the agent let it get there. Suddenly your repair goes to the top of the pile.

Keep a paper trail

From today, put everything in writing. If you call, follow up with an email: “As discussed on the phone today, the hot water system is still not working.” Save every reply. Take dated photos. This becomes your evidence.

If they still do nothing

Apply to your state tribunal. It is cheaper and faster than most people think:

• Fees are usually under $70 and often waived for people on low incomes.
• You do not need a lawyer.
• The tribunal can order the repair by a set date and reduce your rent for the time you went without.

In Victoria, you can also ask Consumer Affairs to inspect and write a repair report first. In New South Wales, Fair Trading can help before you go to NCAT.

Stop asking. Start telling.

You have already been reasonable. You have already waited. A formal notice is not aggressive. It is just the step the law expects you to take.

Claim Done drafts your Tenant Repair Notice for $49. Done in about 5 minutes.