Appliance Repairs for Property Managers and Landlords

When a tenant reports a dead oven or a fridge that has stopped cooling, you are not just fielding an annoyed phone call. You are on a clock set by law, and the sooner it is dealt with, the smaller the problem stays.

Where NSW law sits on this

A landlord has to provide and maintain a rental property in a reasonable state of repair, and that covers the appliances supplied with the place. A fridge, oven or washing machine that came with the property is the landlord's to keep working.

Some of these faults are not just repairs, they are urgent repairs. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, urgent repairs include a broken or failing appliance that uses water and is wasting a substantial amount of it, and the failure of an essential service like cooking facilities. A leaking dishwasher or a dead stove can both land in that category.

That matters because of what a tenant is allowed to do next. If they cannot get the repair actioned, the Tenants' Union notes they can arrange an urgent repair themselves, up to $1,000, using a licensed tradesperson, and the landlord has to reimburse them within 14 days. You would much rather choose the repairer and control the cost than have that decision made for you.

What we take off your plate

The point of dealing with a specialist appliance repairer is that one call ends the job.

We deal with the tenant directly. You give us the address and the contact, and we sort out access and a time straight with them, so you are not the switchboard between two parties for a week. We service every major brand of fridge, freezer, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, oven, cooktop, rangehood and microwave, so it does not matter what is in the property.

The cost is fixed and known before we go out. The assessment fee is $125 across the Illawarra and $145 for the outer South Coast, and you get a written quote for any repair before we do the work. That gives you something clean to put in front of the landlord for approval, and something for the file.

Sometimes the fault is not worth fixing on an old machine, and we will tell you that plainly rather than quote a repair that does not make sense. That is a call you and the landlord make, but you will have the honest number to make it with.

Fast on the urgent stuff

Our vans carry the common parts, so a lot of repairs are done on the first visit rather than dragging into a second appointment. We cover the whole patch, from Helensburgh in the north down to Nowra and Jervis Bay, and same-day service is often available when a fridge full of a tenant's food is at stake.

Repairs carry a warranty on parts and labour, so if the same fault comes back you are not paying twice, and neither is the landlord.

Set it up

If you manage rentals across the Illawarra or Shoalhaven, keep our number handy for the next breakdown. The first job is the easiest way to see how it runs, and you can read what other locals have said on our reviews page.

Next time an appliance goes down in one of your properties, book it online or call 02 4229 3777. Tell us it is a rental and we will handle the tenant from there. If you would rather set something up first, use the contact form and we will get back to you.

Is a broken appliance an urgent repair under the NSW Residential Tenancies Act?

Sometimes. The Act treats a water-wasting appliance and the failure of an essential service for hot water, cooking, heating, cooling or laundering as urgent repairs. A dead stove or oven is urgent, and so is a dishwasher or washing machine that is leaking a substantial amount of water.

The definition of urgent repairs sits in section 62 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010. Paragraph (b) covers "an appliance, fitting or fixture that uses water or is used to supply water that is broken or not functioning properly, so that a substantial amount of water is being wasted". Paragraph (j) covers "a failure or breakdown of any essential service on the residential premises for hot water, cooking, heating, cooling or laundering".

The NSW Government's page on getting repairs done puts it in plain English under essential appliance failure or breakdown, and lists a stove or oven, a heater or air conditioner, and a hot water service. It also says the tenant must tell the landlord or agent of an urgent repair straight away. This is general information as at November 2026, and the Act and NSW Fair Trading are the authority.

How much can a tenant spend on an urgent appliance repair in NSW?

A tenant can claim back up to $1,000 for an urgent repair, and the landlord must reimburse them no later than 14 days after being given written notice. Both limits come from section 64 of the Act.

Section 64(2) sets conditions on the reimbursement. In short, the fault must not have been caused by the tenant breaching the tenancy agreement, the tenant must have told the landlord or agent or made a reasonable attempt to, and the landlord must have had a reasonable chance to do the repair. If the tenancy agreement names a licensed or otherwise properly qualified person for repairs, the tenant must have made a reasonable attempt to use them. Section 64(3) sets the $1,000 cap "or such other amount as may be prescribed by the regulations". The NSW Government page says the same, that the tenant can be paid back up to $1,000 within 14 days of their notice.

For an agent or landlord, the simple way to avoid a claim is to have the repair arranged before the tenant has to. That is what our rental service above is for.

Which appliance faults are urgent, and which can wait?

A dishwasher or washing machine leaking a lot of water, and a dead stove, oven, hot water service, heater or air conditioner, are urgent. A fridge is not named in the Act or on the NSW Government list, so we make no claim either way for a fridge.

Anything that is not urgent is a non-urgent repair, and the NSW Government page describes those separately. We have not set out a timeframe for non-urgent repairs here because we could not confirm one. If a tenant reports any of the faults above, book an appliance repair and tell us it is a rental, or see our washing machine and oven repair pages.