What counts as an emergency repair in a Queensland rental?

The RTA lists: a burst water service or serious water leak, a blocked or broken toilet, a serious roof leak, a gas leak, a dangerous electrical fault, flooding or serious flood damage, serious storm, fire or impact damage, a failure of the gas, electricity or water supply, a failure of an essential service or appliance for hot water, cooking or heating, a fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or insecure (including smoke alarms), a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a tenant, a serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area, and any repair needed to make the property comply with minimum housing standards. Everything else is a routine repair.

Can a tenant in Queensland arrange emergency repairs themselves?

Yes. If the tenant cannot contact the emergency repair contact named in the tenancy agreement within a reasonable timeframe, or the repairs are not promptly addressed, the RTA says the tenant can arrange emergency repairs up to a maximum value of 4 weeks rent. The tenant then asks the owner for reimbursement in writing with all receipts, and the owner has a minimum of 7 days to pay.

How long does a Queensland landlord have to reimburse a tenant for emergency repairs?

A minimum of 7 days after the tenant's written request with receipts. If the owner does not pay by the deadline, the tenant can make an urgent application to QCAT without going through RTA dispute resolution first. The owner can also apply to QCAT if they disagree with the request.

What is a repair order in Queensland?

An order from the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) requiring repairs to a rental property. A tenant can apply for one for routine or emergency repairs; for routine repairs the application must be made within 6 months. QCAT can set a due date, decide who pays, let the tenant pay reduced rent until the work is done, award compensation for loss of amenity, or end the tenancy if the repairs are not completed. The order stays with the property until it is complied with, even if the property is sold, and not complying is an offence carrying 50 penalty units.

Emergency repairs rules in QLD: what counts, what the tenant can spend, and the last day to pay them back

Written for Queensland owners who manage their own rental. Checked against the Residential Tenancies Authority's emergency repairs page, routine repairs page, repair guidelines for tenants, repair orders fact sheet and minimum housing standards fact sheet on 2 November 2026. Links to the official source are under each section.

The short version. Queensland splits repairs into emergency and routine. Emergency repairs are the RTA's list of 13 things: burst pipes, a broken toilet, a serious roof leak, a gas leak, a dangerous electrical fault, flood, storm or fire damage, loss of power, gas or water, a failed hot water, cooking or heating appliance, anything that makes the property unsafe or insecure (smoke alarms included), anything likely to injure someone or damage property, a serious fault in stairs, a lift or a common area, and any repair needed to meet minimum housing standards. Your tenancy agreement must name a nominated repairer. If the tenant cannot reach your emergency contact in a reasonable time, they can arrange the repair themselves up to a maximum value of 4 weeks rent, then ask you in writing with receipts, and you have a minimum of 7 days to pay. Miss it and they can go straight to QCAT. Everything else is a routine repair: the tenant tells you in writing, you fix it in a reasonable time, and if you do not, a Notice to remedy breach (Form 11) gives you 7 days before the tenant can take it to the RTA and then QCAT for a repair order.

What counts as an emergency repair

The RTA's emergency repairs page lists these. If the problem is on this list, the tenant does not have to wait for you.

"a burst water service or a serious water service leak"
"a blocked or broken toilet"
"a serious roof leak"
"a gas leak"
"a dangerous electrical fault"
"flooding or serious flood damage"
"serious storm, fire or impact damage"
"a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply"
"a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance on the premises for hot water, cooking or heating"
"a fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or insecure (this includes smoke alarms)"
"a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a tenant"
"a serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area of the premises" that unduly inconveniences a tenant in gaining access to, or using, the premises
"repairs that are required to make the rental property comply with minimum housing standards"

The last item is the one that catches owners out. Since 1 September 2024 every Queensland tenancy has had to meet the minimum housing standards: weatherproof and structurally sound, in good repair, working locks on reachable external doors and windows, free of vermin, damp and mould, privacy coverings, adequate plumbing with hot and cold drinking water, a flushing toilet, a working cooktop if there is a kitchen, and laundry plumbing if there is a laundry. The RTA's minimum housing standards fact sheet says repairs needed to meet the standards "will be classified as emergency repairs". A broken window lock or a mould problem is an emergency repair, not a job for next month.

Source: RTA, Emergency repairs and RTA, Minimum housing standards fact sheet

Work out your 4-week cap and the last day to pay a claim

Enter the rent and, if the tenant has already sent you a written request with receipts, the day you received it. The tool gives the most the tenant can spend without your say-so and the last day to pay them back.

Rent amount Paid Day you received the tenant's written request with receipts (optional)

A money and date helper, not legal advice. The RTA puts the cap at "a maximum value of 4 weeks rent" and does not say how to convert a monthly rent, so the tool uses monthly x 12 / 52 x 4 and rounds down to the dollar. The RTA says the tenant must give you "a minimum of 7 days" to reimburse and does not say whether the day you receive the request counts or what happens on a weekend, so the tool counts 7 days from the day after you receive it and warns if that lands on a weekend without moving it. Pay earlier if you can.

Your emergency repairs contact

The agreement must name a repairer. The RTA says the tenancy agreement must include "the name and phone number of the nominated repairer" and "whether the property manager/owner or nominated repairer is the first point of contact" for emergency repairs. On the General tenancy agreement (Form 18a, version v23 dated 1 September 2025) that is the nominated repairers item, with spaces for electrical, plumbing and other.
Pick people who answer the phone. A licensed electrician and a plumber you have already used, who take after-hours calls. If the tenant cannot reach the contact in a reasonable time, the 4-week rule kicks in and you lose control of who does the work and what it costs.
Put yourself down as well. Self-managing owners can be the first point of contact with the tradespeople as backup, as long as the numbers on the form are current. An old number on the agreement is the most common way owners end up with a surprise invoice.
Phone call is enough from the tenant. The RTA says the tenant "should make every effort to contact the emergency contact listed on the tenancy agreement" as soon as they become aware of the issue, and that it "does not require this contact to be made in writing and verbal communication is sufficient". It calls a follow-up email or text good practice, not a requirement. Do not refuse a claim because the first contact was a phone call.

Source: RTA, Emergency repairs and RTA, General tenancy agreement (Form 18a)

When the tenant arranges the repair themselves

The trigger. The RTA says if the tenant is "unable to contact the emergency repair contact within a reasonable timeframe", "either the tenant or property manager can arrange repairs up to a maximum value of 4 weeks rent". The tenant guidelines add a second trigger: the repairs "are not promptly addressed". Reasonable timeframe is not defined. For a burst pipe on a Saturday night it is hours, not days.
The cap is 4 weeks rent. On $600 a week that is $2,400. It is a cap on what the tenant can commit you to, not a cap on what the repair may cost; if the job is bigger, the tradesperson stops at the emergency fix and the rest is yours to arrange.
The claim must be in writing with receipts. The RTA says the tenant "must request reimbursement from the property manager/owner in writing" and "provide all receipts". No receipts, ask for them before the clock runs.
You have a minimum of 7 days to pay. The tenant guidelines put it as "the property manager/owner then has seven days to repay the cost". Pay it. If you think the repair was not an emergency or the price was unreasonable, the RTA says you "can also apply to QCAT if they disagree with the request for reimbursement", but you do that instead of ignoring the claim, not after.
Miss the deadline and QCAT is next, fast. The RTA says the tenant can "make an urgent application to Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT)" once the deadline has passed and "does not need to go through RTA dispute resolution for an urgent application". Most disputes have to go through the RTA first; this one does not.
The tenant can ask you to pay the tradesperson directly. The tenant guidelines say a tenant who cannot afford the repairs can organise them up to the value of 4 weeks rent and "request for the owner to pay the tradesperson directly". Say yes. It is the same money and it keeps the tenant out of pocket.
If you use a property manager, they can deduct it from rent. The RTA says a property manager who pays for emergency repairs "may make deductions up to the cost of 4 weeks' rent" from the rent before transferring the remainder to the owner. Useful to know when you read your next statement.

Source: RTA, Emergency repairs and RTA, Repair guidelines for tenants

Routine repairs: the other list

Anything not on the emergency list is a routine repair: a dripping tap, a broken blind, a sticking door, a dishwasher that came with the property and has stopped, a fence panel down. The process is slower but it has teeth.

The tenant reports it in writing. The RTA's routine repairs page says it is "the tenant's responsibility to tell the property manager/owner in writing as soon as possible", and that the tenant "should not organise routine repairs without written permission". Give tenants an email address for repairs and they will use it.
You fix it in a reasonable timeframe. The RTA: "The property manager/owner is responsible for making sure the repair is made in a reasonable timeframe." Not defined. A week or 2 for a non-urgent job with a tradesperson booked is reasonable; a month of silence is not.
Then a Form 11 with 7 days. If nothing happens, the tenant "can issue the property manager/owner with a Notice to remedy breach (Form 11)" and must "allow them a minimum of seven days to take action". The same form you would use on them for arrears, pointed the other way. The breach notice page explains how the days are counted.
Then the RTA, then QCAT. If the Form 11 date passes, the tenant "can request a free RTA dispute resolution", and if that fails, apply to QCAT for a repair order "within six months".
Rent reduction by agreement. The RTA says that where repairs have had a significant impact on the tenant's living standards, "the property manager/owner and the tenant may agree to reduce the rent until the repair has been made". Put any such agreement in writing with an end condition.
The tenant must keep paying rent. The RTA tells tenants they "should never stop paying rent because of a repair issue, as this may be a breach of the tenancy agreement". If a tenant withholds rent over a repair, the arrears process applies to them, and the repair process still applies to you. 2 wrongs, 2 notices.
Damage the tenant caused is theirs. The tenant is responsible for damage they or their guests cause and has to report damage as soon as possible. Fair wear and tear is yours.

Source: RTA, Routine repairs, RTA, Repair guidelines for tenants and RTA, Rental premises use, condition and repairs fact sheet

Repair orders: what QCAT can do to you

Since 1 October 2022 a tenant can ask QCAT for a repair order for routine or emergency repairs. The RTA's repair orders fact sheet lists what QCAT can order:

"what is, or is not, to be repaired"
"a due date by which the managing party must carry out the repairs"
"whether the tenant may arrange for a suitably qualified person to carry out the repairs for an amount decided by QCAT"
"who may pay for the repairs"
"whether the tenant may pay a reduced rent until the repairs are carried out to the standard decided by QCAT"
"compensation to the tenant for loss of amenity"
"whether a suitably qualified person must assess the need for repairs or inspect the premises or inclusions"
"that the premises not be occupied until repairs are completed, if the premises is vacant"
"whether the residential tenancy agreement will be terminated if the repairs are not completed by the due date"

3 things to know. The order "does not expire with the ending of any particular residential tenancy agreement or ownership", so it follows the property to the next tenant and to a buyer. For emergency repairs the tenant can apply urgently if they could not notify the nominated repairer or you, or could not arrange a suitably qualified person themselves. And the RTA says "non-compliance with a repair order is considered an offence that carries 50 penalty units". A Queensland penalty unit is $172.70 from 1 July 2026, so that is up to $8,635.

Source: RTA, Repair orders fact sheet

Getting in to do the repair

Emergency: no notice needed. Entry to carry out emergency repairs, and to protect the property from imminent or further damage, needs no Entry notice. Tell the tenant anyway.
Routine repairs and maintenance: 48 hours on a Form 9. Since 1 May 2025 the notice period for repairs entry is 48 hours (it was 24). The entry notice page has an earliest entry time calculator.
Checking the work: 48 hours, within 2 weeks. A separate entry reason on the Form 9, available within 2 weeks of the repair being done.
Found at a routine inspection? The inspection is a different entry; book the tradesperson with their own notice. The routine inspection page covers the 3-month limit and what to look at.
Smoke alarm faults are emergency repairs. A dead or missing alarm is on the list. Maintaining alarms is also its own 48-hour entry reason, and the full 2027 interconnected rules are on the smoke alarm page.

Source: RTA, Entry notice (Form 9) and RTA, Emergency repairs

The mistakes self-managing landlords make with repairs

An out-of-date number on the agreement. The tenant rings the plumber you used in 2019, gets nothing, and lawfully calls someone else. Check the nominated repairers at every renewal.
Treating a mould patch or a broken window lock as routine. Minimum housing standards gaps are emergency repairs by definition.
Arguing about the invoice instead of paying. The 7 days keep running while you argue. Pay, then take a real dispute to QCAT.
Telling the tenant to "just get it fixed and take it off the rent". Do it in writing with an amount if you must; a vague arrangement becomes a bond dispute later.
Letting routine repairs drift. A Form 11, RTA conciliation and a repair order with reduced rent is an expensive way to be told to fix a dishwasher.
No written trail. Report, quote, booking, completion, receipt. If it goes to QCAT, the owner with dates wins.

A repair claim deadline is 1 of about 30 dates you are meant to track

Reimbursement deadlines, routine inspection windows, smoke alarm tests, rent increase dates, bond lodgement, pet request responses, notice periods, fixed-term end dates. The free Landlord Minder checklist puts every Queensland date and obligation on 1 page with a link to the official source for each.

Read the free checklist Get reminded before each date

Frequently asked

Is the 4 weeks rent cap per repair or in total?
The RTA states it as "up to a maximum value of 4 weeks rent" for the repairs the tenant arranges and does not say per incident or per year. If the amounts are adding up, fix the underlying problem.

Do I have to pay if I think the repair was not an emergency?
The RTA's path for you is to apply to QCAT if you disagree with the request. Nothing on the RTA's pages lets you simply refuse, and once your 7 days pass the tenant can make an urgent QCAT application. Pay what is clearly owed and dispute the rest.

Can the tenant stop paying rent until the repair is done?
No. The RTA tells tenants never to stop paying rent over a repair issue. A rent reduction is possible by written agreement, or by QCAT order.

What if the tenant did not even try to call my repairer?
The RTA says the tenant should make every effort to contact the emergency contact on the agreement before arranging repairs. If they made no attempt, that is a point you can take to QCAT. Keep in mind a phone call counts, and it is their word against the call log.

Does a repair order die when the tenant moves out or I sell?
No. It stays with the property until it is complied with, through a change of tenant and a change of owner.

Who pays for damage the tenant caused?
The tenant, if it goes beyond fair wear and tear. You still have to make the property safe first if it is an emergency; recover the cost afterwards, through agreement, the bond or QCAT.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It summarises public information from the Residential Tenancies Authority and the Queensland Government. Check the linked official source or get professional advice before you act. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Sign up and reply to the welcome email, and it will be fixed.