Urgent & General Maintenance

Shelter Real Estate manages repairs and maintenance in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic).

This page explains:

• how to report repairs
• what is considered urgent
• expected response timeframes
• how after‑hours urgent repairs are handled

Important Information About After‑Hours Repairs

• Shelter Real Estate co‑ordinates trades during normal business hours only.
• Shelter is not a 24‑hour concierge or emergency dispatch service.
• Our legal obligation is to provide a 24‑hour contact number so urgent repairs can be reported, not to attend or arrange trades after hours.
• If an urgent repair occurs outside business hours, renters may:
  • wait until the next business day, or
  • arrange a suitably qualified trade directly, where reasonable, in accordance with the Act.

Repair Categories

Urgent Repairs

Examples of urgent repairs (as defined by law) include:

• burst water service
• serious roof leak
• gas leak
• dangerous electrical fault
• flooding or serious storm damage
• blocked or broken toilet (with no alternative)
• failure of essential services over the weekend (hot water, electricity, gas, heating, water)
• safety devices not working (e.g. smoke alarms)
• faults making the property unsafe or insecure

How to Report an Urgent Repair

To notify Shelter of an urgent repair at any time, including after hours:

Email: pm@shelterrealestate.com.au
Text: 0480 099 722

Please include:

• property address
• clear description of the issue
• photos or video where possible

Providing notice fulfills your obligation to notify the agent immediately.

Before Contacting a Trade

Before arranging an urgent repair, renters should:

1. Confirm the issue meets the legal definition of an urgent repair
2. Use the troubleshooting guide
3. Collect photos or video evidence

This assists in avoiding unnecessary call‑out fees.

After‑Hours Urgent Repairs — Approved Trades

If an urgent repair occurs outside business hours, renters may contact an approved trade directly.

These trades have been instructed to only respond to urgent repairs.
Non‑urgent works will not be approved after hours.

Heating & Cooling

Air Co Services — 0433 718 650

Plumbing / Hot Water / Gas

Ashburton Plumbing — 0418 389 631
Nextgen — 0411 427 696

Electrical

Auburn Electrical — 0419 341 052

Locksmith

Kon the Locksmith — 0412 558 850
Lockness Locksmiths — 0404 882 413

Storm Damage

SES — 132 500

If you contact a trade, please also email Shelter with:

• the trade’s name
• details of the issue
• any job or reference number

If No Approved Trade Responds

You need to try the approved trades first.  If no approved trade responds within a reasonable time, the renter may:

• arrange repairs with a suitably qualified local tradesperson, and
• notify Shelter as soon as practicable

Shelter will review the matter on the next business day

Costs & Misuse of Emergency Services

Emergency and after‑hours services are strictly for urgent repairs only that cannot wait until the next business day.  

If a renter engages a trade for:

• a non‑urgent issue
• unnecessary after‑hours work
• unreasonable cost

If you choose to use an after hours service for an issue that can wait until the next business day, then you will be responsible for the after hours call out fee.

Disputes commonly arise due to the excessive after hour call out fees charged by a trade. A good rule of thumb to use is if it you were responsible for paying, could it wait a few hours until the next day or would you pay the extra after hours premium call out fee.