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They will not fix something that is not urgent. What now?

34 quoted answers, each with its source

The short answer

In Victoria, a non-urgent repair is anything not on the legal list of urgent repairs; examples include a broken dishwasher, loose bathroom tiles, a sticking door and a minor tap leak, and all repairs must be made to the standard a tradesperson would make them. Rental providers have 14 days to make a non-urgent repair, but the sources do not agree on when the period starts: Consumer Affairs Victoria states it runs from the date of a written request, while Tenants Victoria states it runs from when the renter reported the problem to the landlord or agent. If the repair is not made within 14 days, the renter may apply to VCAT even without a repairs inspection and report; Consumer Affairs Victoria offers a free repairs inspection, and Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria handles disputes about non-urgent repairs. While waiting, renters must continue paying rent, and a rental provider or agent making repairs must give at least 24 hours notice and enter only between 8am and 6pm on any day except a public holiday; from 1 December 2025 all corded internal window coverings in Victorian rental properties must have secured cords.

Every part of this comes from the quotes below. How we write these.

What the rules actually say21

Quoted straight from Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Residential Tenancies Act or a tribunal.

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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that rental providers must make non-urgent repairs within 14 days of getting a written request.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers must make non-urgent repairs within 14 days of getting a written request.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria defines a non-urgent repair residually, as anything not on the legally defined list of urgent repairs.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The law defines a list of urgent repairs. Anything else is a non-urgent repair.
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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a repair is non-urgent if the renter can continue to safely live in the property.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria gives a broken dishwasher and loose bathroom tiles as examples of non-urgent repairs.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
A repair is non-urgent if the renter can continue to safely live in the property. Non-urgent repairs include things like a broken dishwasher or loose bathroom tiles.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that the 14-day period for a non-urgent repair runs from the date of the request.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers or agents must make sure the repair is done in 14 days from the date of the request.
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A renter may apply to VCAT if a non-urgent repair is not made within 14 days, even without a repairs inspection and report.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
The renter may apply to VCAT if the rental provider does not make the repairs within 14 days even without a repairs inspection and report.
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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria offers a free repairs inspection.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria's free repairs inspection includes a Consumer Affairs Victoria inspector visiting the property.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria's free repairs inspection includes a Consumer Affairs Victoria inspector writing a report about the repairs.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
One of our inspectors can visit the property and write a report about the repairs. This is a free service.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a renter can ask for a repairs inspection where the rental provider has ignored a request for non-urgent repairs to be made.

first-party
2 quotes from 1 source
Renters can ask us for a repairs inspection if:
the rental provider has ignored a request for non-urgent repairs to be made
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that renters must continue to pay rent while waiting for repairs to be done.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Renters must continue to pay rent while waiting for repairs to be done or waiting to be paid back for repairs.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that all repairs must be made to the standard a tradesperson would make them.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
All repairs must be made to the standard a tradesperson would make them.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a rental provider or agent making repairs…

  • must give the renter at least 24 hours notice.
  • can only enter between 8am and 6pm on any day except a public holiday.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
They must give the renter at least 24 hours notice. They can only enter the property between 8am and 6pm on any day except a public holiday.
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Tenants Victoria states that a notice of breach of duty can be used to request non-urgent repairs.

1 quote from 1 source
You can also use a notice of breach of duty to request non-urgent repairs, especially if you think you may want to claim compensation because of loss and inconvenience.
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Tenants Victoria states that nonurgent repairs should be done within 14 days of the renter reporting the problem to the landlord or their agent.

1 quote from 1 source
A non-urgent repair is anything not on the list of urgent repairs. Non-urgent repairs should be done within 14 days of you reporting the problem to the landlord or their agent.
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Tenants Victoria states that a landlord who receives a written request for non-urgent repairs must arrange a suitably qualified person to do them within 14 days.

1 quote from 1 source
If you ask your landlord or agent in writing for non-urgent repairs, they must arrange a suitably qualified person to do them within 14 days.
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Tenants Victoria states that asking for something new for the property is not a non-urgent repair request.

1 quote from 1 source
Asking for something new for the property is not considered a non-urgent repair request.
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Tenants Victoria lists disputes about…

  • urgent repairs among the dispute types that go through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria.
  • non-urgent repairs among the dispute types that go through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria.
2 quotes from 1 source
RDRV deals with common issues that can often be resolved quickly without a formal VCAT hearing.
Disputes about urgent and non-urgent repairs

Practical effect3

What is observed to happen in practice, as distinct from what is documented.

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Tenants Victoria's repairs toolkit states that Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria now handles some rental disputes instead of VCAT.

medium confidence
1 quote from 1 source
Note: Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) now handles some rental disputes instead of VCAT.
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The Victorian Council of Social Service reports that limited statutory enforcement of rental rights contributes to a power imbalance in which renters cannot assert their rights.

1 quote from 1 source
Community sector workers report that a lack of affordable housing, a highly saturated rental market, and limited statutory enforcement of rental rights are stacking the deck against renters, perpetuating a power imbalance in which renters are unable to assert their rights out of fear of ‘rocking the boat’.
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Tenants Victoria observes that the removal of the remaining no-reason evictions means renters are better able to ask for repairs without the anxiety of being evicted for no clear grounds.

medium confidence
1 quote from 1 source
‘The removal of the remaining ‘no-reason’ evictions means renters are better able to assert their rights, such as asking for repairs, without the anxiety of being evicted for no clear grounds.’

Changed on5

A dated change. This is where advice quietly stops being true.

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Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria helps settle disputes over bonds, compensation, repairs and excessive rents.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Launched today, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) is a dispute resolution service to help settle disputes over bonds, compensation, repairs, and excessive rents.
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Nonurgent repairs: from 1 December 2025, all corded internal window coverings in Victorian rental properties must have secured cords.

1 quote from 1 source
From 1 December 2025, all corded internal window coverings, such as blinds and curtains, must have secured cords.
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Additional Victorian rental minimum standards were introduced on…

  • 29 March 2022.
  • 20 March 2023.
  • 1 December 2025.
1 quote from 1 source
Additional minimum standards were introduced on 29 March 2022, 20 March 2023 and 1 December 2025.

Disputed between sources1

Sources that do not agree, presented without picking a winner.

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Tenants Victoria measures the 14-day non-urgent repair period from when the renter reported the problem

low confidencefirst-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
Rental providers or agents must make sure the repair is done in 14 days from the date of the request.
Non-urgent repairs should be done within 14 days of you reporting the problem to the landlord or their agent.

Often said, but we could not find it in the rules4

Lots of people say this. We went looking for an official source that backs it up and could not find one, so treat it as something people repeat rather than something settled.

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Crown Real Estate Agents states that…

  • a rental provider has 14 days to complete non-urgent items once notified in writing.
  • non-urgent items include a sticking door and a minor tap leak.
medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
For non-urgent items, such as a sticking door or a minor tap leak, you have 14 days to complete the work once notified in writing.
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Crown Real Estate Agents states that the list of urgent repairs has expanded significantly under the recent Victorian law changes.

medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
The list of “urgent” repairs has expanded significantly under the recent Victorian law changes.
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Crown Real Estate Agents states that if a rental provider does not arrange urgent repairs straight away, the renter can legally pay for the work and demand reimbursement within seven days.

medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
If you or your agent don’t arrange urgent repairs straight away, the renter can legally pay for the work themselves and demand reimbursement within seven days.