Emergency Repairs
Should an emergency occur during business hours, please email rentals@professionalsparadise.com.au or call us on (02) 9601 7455.
However if you have an after hours emergency and a tradesman does attend the property after hours and the issue could have waited until the next working day, you may be responsible for the full or part account charged by the tradesman.
We consider the following to be an emergency:
- a burst water service
- a blocked or broken toilet – however if you have a second toilet that is functioning, please report this problem during business hours and use the second toilet
- a serious roof leak
- a serious gas leak
- a dangerous electrical fault
- serious storm or fire damage *
- flooding or serious flood damage *
- a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises. Please contact your service provider first to establish if the breakdown is to the surrounding area.
- a failure or breakdown of any essential service on the premises
- any fault or damage that causes the premises to be unsafe or not secure.
* SES – for emergency help in floods and storms call 132 500
Electrician – Zelect – 1300 935 328
Electrician – Gracie Electrical – 0424 434 423
Plumber – Mount Vernon Plumbing Services – 0404 882 332
Glazier – Cabravale Glass – 9756 1355
Handyman – Alfene Property Maintenance – 0418 220 995
Locksmith – Knotts Locksmiths – 0425 290 966
General Repairs
We require all repairs to be lodged in writing and submitted to our office. You can lodge written repair requests by emailing your Property Manager or by submitting a Maintenance Request Form on our website.
Some things to be aware of include:
- Exposed wiring
- Faulty power points and switches
- Gas smell or odour
- Damage to paving and pathways that could cause someone to trip
- Bee swarms coming on to the property mainly during spring, especially if someone is allergic to bee stings
- If you need to clean a property with high ceilings or light fittings that are hard to reach, please do so with care and use the appropriate equipment and do not do anything considered unsafe
- Loose floorboards that could cause someone to fall through them and cause injury
- Loose balcony railings, steps or decking woodwork
- Loose or faulty locks, in particular entry doors and screen doors
- Broken or cracked windows, and broken/loose window locks
Air conditioners
Please, regularly clean any filters and intake vents to ensure there is no build up of dirt and dust, and that the unit is able to draw in air effectively, not hindering performance, or in the worse case scenario, causing the unit to breakdown resulting in costly repairs and/or replacement. Please also note that if an air conditioner breaks down due to filters and vents not being kept clean, costs to rectify the damage or even replace the unit might be charged to tenants.
Heaters
Please ensure any combustion heaters are kept clean of ash build up, and also ensure a protective mat is placed in front of the heater to protect against coals and ash falling out and singeing/damaging carpets or floors.
For other heaters, please ensure that no combustible or flammable material is placed on or near heaters to avoid a fire risk.
Fireplaces
If the property you are renting has a fireplace, this cannot be used unless you have been given permission from us in writing. Sometimes these are ornamental, or the flue/chimney has been blocked up. Using them could cause a fire to occur.
Strict No Smoking Policy
All properties have a strict ‘no smoking inside’ policy. If tenants still choose to smoke inside the property they will be responsible for specialised cleaning and deodorising of the inside of the property to reduce and eliminate unpleasant smoke odours. This can easily run into the hundreds of dollars, and is charged to the tenant.
Tenant Painting
It is company policy that tenants do not paint any part of the property themselves. We have found in the past that some tenants have not painted the property to a professional standard, resulting in a professional painter being called in to rectify work. It is a policy that any painting can only be carried out by experienced, professional painters with our written permission.
Fixtures and Fittings
If you wish to install or remove any fixtures or fittings, you must request this beforehand in writing and it must be approved by the owner.
Smoke Alarms
Should you believe for any reason the smoke alarm(s) installed are not working or the batteries are not functioning, please let us know immediately. Protect your safety by being vigilant and report to us any issues, to ensure your safety in the case of a fire.
Picture Hooks
If you wish to install any new picture hooks, please let us know in writing what type of hooks you wish to use. Please assess the type of walls that are in the property, and the type of picture hooks that are suitable. We will let you know in writing before you are permitted to install appropriate picture hooks.
House Cracking and Movement
Please let us know if you notice any cracks to walls, ceilings and movement. If cracks were in place when you moved in, please let us know if you notice them worsening or growing larger. Please either report these in writing or point them out to us at the routine inspection.
Pot Plants
Please keep pot plants outside the property at all times. Pot plants placed inside on hard surfaces, tiles and floors like lino, may leave a circular indent, stains and damage. Pot plants placed on carpet areas run the risk of carpet rot underneath, should moisture overflow or escape even with plates and containers placed underneath to attempt to prevent this.
General Cleaning
It is expected that the property be kept reasonably clean, and this is also a tenancy agreement requirement.
Pay particular attention to:
Oven and Stove Tops
Please ensure that stove tops, grillers and ovens are kept free of burnt on food. Food, crumbs and spills when left long enough become burnt on, blackened and carbonised, making them very difficult to remove.
Please use care when using scourers as these may scratch and damage enamel surfaces. When cleaning stoves/ovens use a spray-on oven cleaner. Be sure to read and follow the product instructions carefully, as even though these types of products are very effective, they tend to contain harmful caustic fumes and require rubber gloves to be worn at all times when using the product. Please also check that the product is suitable to the type of surface you are applying this to, as some surfaces like stainless steel may become permanently marred/stained using an oven cleaner.
Exhaust Fans/Vents and Range hoods
Please ensure any vents and range hood filters are kept clean.
Ensure the exhaust fan cover is clean and kept free of grime build up. From time to time these should be taken down and removed to be soaked in hot soapy water, and then scrubbed clean. Please use extreme caution when removing these. If you believe this is unsafe (i.e. a high exhaust fan), then let us know so we can discuss this with the owner.
In the Wet Areas- Bathroom, Toilet and Laundry
Shower Screens
If you notice cracking to glass in shower screens or shower doors please report this to us immediately. Wired shower screen glass can crack under thermal expansion (consistent hot and cold temperatures) where as toughened glass usually only cracks if impacted (hit by something). If the shower screen is cracked due to impact damage, this will in most cases need to be paid for by the tenant.
Blocked sinks/drains
Should a sink or basin become blocked, first try a drain cleaning product like Draino. Be sure to follow the product instructions carefully. If the sink or basin is still blocked after treatment, please let us know so we can arrange for a plumber to attend to the problem.
Foreign objects down drains
Please take care not to allow children to place toys or other items down drains. If your property has a septic tank system, please do not flush foreign objects like sanitary products down the toilet. Septic tank systems are not able to process this type of material.
If a plumber is employed by us to clear pipes, drains, basins or sinks and it is determined that the blockage was caused by something considered foreign, this expense will be billed to the tenant for payment.
Loose tiles
Should you notice loose tiles to walls, the shower recess or to tiles over the laundry trough etc, please be sure to let us know.
Wall water damage
Should you notice water damage to a wall adjacent to a shower recess, bathroom basin etc please let us know immediately. This can be identified by bubbling or peeling paint, or even water or mould marks to the flooring/carpet. This usually identifies either loose tiles or a broken/leaking pipe in the wall, and will need attending to immediately to prevent further damage from occurring.
Taps leaking
Please report any taps leaking either from a tap head or tap handles. This includes washing machine taps. Sometimes washing machine taps will leak only when connected to automatic washing machine hoses as the tap water pressure exposes leakage in the taps.
Toilets leaking
Water trickling or leaking into the bowl from the cistern usually indicates a worn cistern washer and needs to be fixed by a plumber. Water left to trickle into the bowl continuously may inflate your water bill and therefore needs to be reported to us when noticed. Also leaking may occur to the tap behind the toilet.
Hot water system leaks
Should you notice the hot water service leaking from the valve or from the base of the unit please let us know. The leaking valve is usually fixable by a plumber, however water leaking from the base of a water storage unit usually indicates the unit has rusted through and may need replacement in the near future.
Lawn Maintenance
Please ensure that lawns are regularly mowed and edged, keeping them neat and tidy. Should you wish to have someone regularly mow your lawn, let us know and we would be happy to recommend a service to you. This is at tenant cost. Weeding of gardens beds, inside lawns, paths, paving and other outside areas are the responsibility of the tenant. Trimming of bushes and shrubs in and around the garden are also the responsibility of the tenant.
Oil Drippage
Any cars parked on driveways, under carports and garages must have a drip tray placed underneath. Only if the vehicle does not drip any oil at all is a drip tray not required. Please also note that any visitors cars must be parked off the premises if they drip oil. Should oil drippage occur at anytime, this must be cleaned up immediately to prevent oil seeping in and permanently staining. Please note any permanent staining will result in compensation or costly cleaning/repairs being charged to the tenant.
Swimming Pools and Outdoor Spas
If the property you are renting has a swimming pool and spa please pay attention to the following.
Pool/Spa Cleaning
Pool/spa cleaning and maintenance, unless it is agreed that the landlord will be supplying a regular cleaning and maintenance service as per your tenancy agreement, this will be a tenant responsibility.
Please note that if regular cleaning does not occur by the tenant, high costs can be incurred to bring it back to its original clean state. If this occurs, this will be at tenant cost. It is also a tenant responsibility to ensure that the pool/spa is kept topped up with water, and must not empty the pool/spa without written approval from us.
Any damage to the pool & equipment from lack of cleaning/maintenance will be charged to the tenant.
Supplying of pool treatment chemicals will be a tenant responsibility, at tenant cost.
Pool/Spa covers, accessories, equipment and pool furniture
It is the responsibility of the tenant to maintain and keep in good condition any accessories, cleaning and maintenance equipment. This also includes any outdoor/pool furniture supplied. Pool cleaning/equipment must be kept out of the sun and stored responsibly. Supplied pool/spa covers must be neatly rolled or folded up and stored away out of the weather when not in use to preserve its lifespan and usefulness.
Pool/Spa Fences and Gates
We must be notified immediately if fences and gates are not functioning correctly, and the gate fails to self-close promptly when opened. State pool/spa regulations must be up kept at all times.