this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2024
27 points (100.0% liked)
Melbourne
1881 readers
57 users here now
This community is a place created for the people of Melbourne and Victoria. We are a positive, welcoming and inclusive community. We might not agree about everything, but we always strive to stay civil and respectful.
The focus of our discussions is based around things that affect Victoria, but we are also free to discuss our local perspective on wider issues. Or head to the regular Daily Random Discussion thread to talk about anything.
Ongoing discussions, FAQs & Resources (still under construction)
Adoption Certificate for Nellie, the Daily Thread numbat (with thanks to @Catfish)
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
In Victoria at least (not sure about WA), air cons not working are considered urgent repairs. They must be remedied immediately, or you can have someone fix it yourself then be reimbursed for the costs (as long as it's under $2,500).
But, of course, that's only a thing if the property already has cooling that's supplied by the landlord. And I bet you can guess how many landlords volunteer to install something they aren't required to, and if they installed, would be obligated to maintain. Especially considering the amount of people who don't have much choice, and how many rentals don't even meet the minimum standards they are already required to meet but choose not to.
I don't believe your experience is anywhere near across the board. My experience isn't universal either, and I'll concede may be less so for small time landlords who only own one or two houses, but based on just about everywhere I've ever lived (and what I've heard from other people), is somewhat representative.
It's very likely the same in WA; I haven't looked into it. Which I regret now, as the landlady took ages (over a year) to approve an Aircon repair in our old house.
This topic sort-of skirts around the issue of solar panels in WA. They're very common among home owners, but rare among renters. You can almost tell whether a house is owned or rented here by looking at solar panels in the street. Landlords have zero incentive to install them, because they cost a decent amount and don't change the amount in rent by very much and then they're on the hook for repairs/maintenance of them.