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Is this an urgent repair, and how fast must they fix it?

38 quoted answers, each with its source

The short answer

Urgent repairs in Victoria include faults or damage that make the property unsafe or insecure, failure of an essential service or appliance, mould or damp caused by or related to the building structure, and a property that does not meet minimum standards. The deadline for a rental provider to act is reported inconsistently: immediately, within 24 hours, within 48 hours, or within 2 to 3 days. A renter can arrange and pay for urgent repairs, but only up to $2,500, and must give written notice asking for repayment within 7 days of the repairs being made while continuing to pay rent; repair disputes must go through Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria first. From 13 October 2026, rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks every two years for all Victorian rental agreements.

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

What the rules actually say19

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

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  • Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria lists a Victorian property as an urgent repair.
  • The Victorian property listed as an urgent repair by Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria does not meet minimum standards.
first-party
2 quotes from 1 source
Rental providers must make urgent repairs immediately. Repairs that are considered to be urgent include:
the property does not meet minimum standards
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Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria lists mould or damp caused by or related to the building structure as an urgent repair in Victoria.

first-party
2 quotes from 1 source
Rental providers must make urgent repairs immediately. Repairs that are considered to be urgent include:
any fault or damage in the property that makes it unsafe or insecure, including pests, mould or damp caused by or related to the building structure
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Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria states that all disputes about rental repairs in Victoria must be submitted through RDRV first.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
All disputes about rental repairs in Victoria must be submitted through RDRV first.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian rental providers must make…

  • urgent repairs immediately.
  • non-urgent repairs within 14 days of getting a written request.
first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Repairs are either ‘urgent’ or ‘non-urgent’. Rental providers must make urgent repairs immediately. Rental providers must make non-urgent repairs within 14 days of getting a written request.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a Victorian renter must give written notice asking for repayment within 7 days of an urgent repair being made.

first-party
2 quotes from 1 source
Renters should keep all receipts and give the landlord a written notice asking them to repay the cost of the urgent repairs.
They must do this within 7 days of the repairs being made.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian renters cannot organise and pay for urgent repairs that cost more than $2500.

first-party
1 quote from 1 source
Renters cannot organise and pay for urgent repairs that cost more than $2500.
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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian renters must continue to pay rent while waiting…

  • for repairs to be done.
  • to be paid back for repairs.
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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The free repairs inspection includes an inspector visiting a Victorian rental property.

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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Tenants Victoria states that Victoria’s rental laws cover renter compensation claims of up to $40,000.

1 quote from 1 source
Note that Victoria’s rental laws cover renter compensation claims of up to $40,000.
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Victoria Legal Aid states that to be reimbursed for an urgent repair a Victorian renter must notify the rental provider within 7 days.

1 quote from 1 source
In order to be reimbursed, the renter must notify the rental provider within 7 days and the rental provider must reimburse the renter within 7 days of receiving notice of the cost.
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Tenants Victoria states that noting on a Victorian condition report at move-in that urgent repairs are needed is treated by the law as a written request for urgent repairs.

1 quote from 1 source
If you note that urgent repairs are needed on the condition report when you move in, the law considers this a written request for urgent repairs.
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Tenants Victoria states that a two-burner failure on a four-burner stove is an urgent repair in Victoria even though the stove is still partly working.

1 quote from 1 source
For example, if you have a 4-burner stove and 2 burners are not working, it will be an urgent repair, even though the stove is still partly working.
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Tenants Victoria advises Victorian renters that it is usually better to apply to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria than to arrange urgent repairs and then seek repayment from the landlord.

1 quote from 1 source
In some circumstances, you can arrange and pay for urgent repairs yourself, but it is usually better to apply to RDRV rather than arranging repairs and then getting the landlord to pay you back.
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Tenants Victoria generally does not recommend that a Victorian renter arrange and pay for urgent repairs themselves unless the repairs are needed for safety or to stop serious damage and the landlord or agent has not responded.

1 quote from 1 source
We generally don’t recommend this, unless the repairs are needed for safety or to stop serious damage and the landlord or agent has not responded to your request.
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A Victorian renter whose urgent repair application is not accepted by VCAT as urgent will…

  • not be penalised.
  • have to go through the process for non-urgent repairs.
1 quote from 1 source
Another way to test if repairs are urgent is to ask yourself if the issue is serious or makes your home unsafe. If you decide it is and end up having to apply to Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) to get the repairs done, and the dispute goes to a formal hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), and VCAT does not agree the repairs are urgent, you will not be penalised. You will just have to go through the process for non-urgent repairs.

Practical effect1

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

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Tenants Victoria reports that for urgent repairs a VCAT hearing is usually held within 2 business days of Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria receiving the application.

1 quote from 1 source
For urgent repairs, the VCAT hearing is usually held within 2 business days of RDRV receiving your application.

Changed on1

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

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Consumer Affairs Victoria states that from 13 October 2026 rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson every two years for all Victorian rental agreements.

medium confidencefirst-party
1 quote from 1 source
Rental providers and their agents must arrange gas and electrical safety checks by a qualified tradesperson every two years for all rental agreements, whether they commenced before, on or after 13 October 2026.

Disputed between sources6

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

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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states Victorian urgent repairs must be made immediately.
  • Home Upkeep states landlords must act on urgent repairs within 24 hours in a guide to repairs in Victoria.
first-partyvendor
2 quotes from 2 sources
Urgent repairs must be done immediately because they make the property unsafe or difficult to live in.
landlords must maintain rental properties in a reasonable state of repair and act on urgent repairs within 24 hours.
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  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian urgent repairs must be made immediately.
  • Victoria Legal Aid states that urgent repairs must be carried out by the rental provider within 2–3 days.
first-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
Urgent repairs must be done immediately because they make the property unsafe or difficult to live in.
The rental provider must carry out urgent repairs that seriously affect the safety or security of the property, or failure of any essential service or appliance within 2–3 days.
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  • Tenants Victoria states that Victorian urgent repairs generally means within 48 hours.
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria states that Victorian urgent repairs must be done immediately.
first-party
2 quotes from 2 sources
Urgent repairs should be done as soon as possible after you report that they are needed. This generally means within 48 hours, allowing your landlord or their agent time to arrange the repairs.
Urgent repairs must be done immediately because they make the property unsafe or difficult to live in.

Often said, but we could not find it in the rules11

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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OptimaRea asserts that the statutory definition of urgent repairs…

  • lists 11 specific categories.
  • leaves no discretion or judgement call.
medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
defines "urgent repairs" by listing 11 specific categories. There is no discretion and no judgement call
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OptimaRea asserts that the $2,500 urgent repair limit in Victoria was…

  • last increased in the 2021 reforms.
  • increased from $1,800.
medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
The $2,500 statutory limit was last increased in the 2021 reforms (up from $1,800 previously)
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OptimaRea asserts that a "reasonable time" for a Victorian landlord to respond to an urgent repair is typically interpreted by VCAT as 24-48 hours.

medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
typically interpreted by VCAT as 24-48 hours for urgent repairs
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OptimaRea asserts that non-urgent repairs in Victoria fall under section 73A of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.

medium confidencevendor
1 quote from 1 source
Repairs that do not appear on the urgent list fall under section 73A of the RTA 1997
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Crown Real Estate asserts that if urgent repairs are not addressed immediately, Victorian renters…

  • can spend up to $2,500 to fix the issue themselves.
  • must be reimbursed within seven days.
vendor
1 quote from 1 source
If these aren’t addressed immediately, renters can spend up to $2,500 to fix the issue themselves and must be reimbursed within seven days.
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Home Upkeep asserts that landlords must act on urgent repairs within 24 hours.

vendor
1 quote from 1 source
landlords must maintain rental properties in a reasonable state of repair and act on urgent repairs within 24 hours.
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Home Upkeep asserts that Victorian law defines urgent repairs in Schedule 3 of the Residential Tenancies Act.

vendor
1 quote from 1 source
Victorian law defines “urgent repairs” in Schedule 3 of the Residential Tenancies Act.
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Home Upkeep asserts that cooling failure counts as urgent from December to March.

vendor
1 quote from 1 source
Cooling failure counts as urgent from December to March