Maintenance Checklist

If you need to log a Maintenance Request with our office please provide us with as much detail as possible e.g. if taps are leaking, is it the hot or cold water tap and in which room of the property the leaking tap is located? If the toilet is leaking, where is it leaking from – the cistern, the rubber seal, the tap, is it cracked?

We will contact the owner and arrange a work order for the relevant tradesperson as soon as possible. If we are experiencing any delays, we will inform you. And vice versa if you haven’t had any response or correspondence regarding your request, please contact our office immediately.

NB: We are not able to organise appointments with tradespeople. We provide our tradespeople with your preferred contact number and they arrange an appropriate time with you. You are entitled to be present when the tradesperson is at the property, alternatively the tradesperson can collect the Agency keys from our office to access the property.

Before proceeding with logging your Maintenance Request with our office, please refer to this guide first to avoid any unnecessary call outs.

DISHWASHER

• Have you checked that the drain is free of objects such as cutlery, broken glass and food fragments?
• Have you checked that the sprinklers are not clogged and that the water flow is not obstructed from detergent build up?
• Have you recently cleaned the filter?
• Have you recently cleaned the dishwasher using either ¼ cup of white vinegar or a commercially available dishwasher cleaning product at the supermarket?

NO ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

• Have you arranged for connection with your preferred supplier?
• Have you paid your latest account?
• Have you checked your fuse/ meter box? There may have been an overload and the safety switch has been activated and needs resetting. If you need to reset the safety switch please reset it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the safety switch trips again after being reset, you should first ensure all points are switched off and remove all appliances with a plug from the power points. Reset the safety switch, plug appliances in again one at a time until the safety switch trips again – this will identify the faulty appliance. If none of the appliances appear to be faulty after this test, please contact our office via telephone or by raising a maintenance request online and we will organise an electrician to investigate the problem
• If renting a unit – have you checked with a neighbour? It may be the Body Corporate that needs to be contacted for action
• If renting a house or unit, check with neighbours and look at the street lights as it may be a supply problem to the area or street. If this appears to be the case, please contact Energex

NO HOT WATER

• First of all determine whether the hot water system is gas or electric
• Have you arranged for the connection of your gas or electricity?
• Have you paid your latest account?
• If it is an electric hot water system, have you checked to see if your hot water system needs refilling/ topping up? There is generally a copper valve on electric hot water systems and an overflow pipe – pull up this lever until a flow of water starts coming out of the overflow pipe. This usually needs to be carried out every six months or so. Have you checked that the water tap on the hot water system itself is turned on?
• If it is a gas hot water system, have you checked to see if your pilot light has gone out? Some units can be easily relit whilst others may require a tradesperson. Are the gas cylinders empty? If so, you need to contact the gas company and arrange to fill the cylinders

LIGHTS OR POWER POINTS NOT WORKING

• Have you checked your fuse/ meter box? If there has been an overload the safety switch may need resetting. Refer back to “No Power” above to check each of your appliances.
• Have you replaced the light bulbs (and starters for fluoro tubes)?

STOVE ELEMENT IS NOT WORKING

• Have you checked the connections to make sure they are not loose or dirty? Sometimes pulling the element out and cleaning them and putting back in again can fix the problem. Please remember to switch off the power to the stove prior to touching the elements. Some stoves do have on/off switches, usually on the wall near the stove

ELECTRIC OVEN NOT WORKING

• If the oven is not heating, check to see the indicator light is on. If not, then the oven may have switched to automatic – refer to the instruction booklet (if available) to reset the oven to manual cooking. The light should come on and the oven should work. If this does not work, please raise a maintenance request with our office and we will arrange for a tradesperson to investigate

GAS APPLIANCES

• Have you checked there is gas in the bottle and if the pilot light is lit? If both of these items are fine, then please contact our office to arrange a tradesperson to investigate

SMOKE ALARMS

• If smoke alarm batteries fail during your tenancy, it is your responsibility as the tenant to change them. If changing the batteries does not solve the problem, then contact our office and we will have a professional tradesperson investigate the problem

GARBAGE DISPOSAL IS NOT WORKING

• Is it turned on at the switch underneath the sink?
• Have you attempted to reset the safety switch? This is normally a little red or black button underneath the bottom of the garbage disposal unit – you may have to get on you hands and knees to find the switch. This switch can be activated by an overload and simply needs to be reset.
• Is there a blockage in the sink/ blades? IMPORTANT: before putting hands down the sink to check for blockages, make sure the unit is turned off at the wall and unplugged

TO FREE BLOCKAGES

• Turn the unit OFF at the power point and remove the plug top
• Remove the blockage
• The re-set button may have tripped. The button is located under the unit and is usually red. Press the button, re-fit the plug top.
• Turn the disposal unit on to test

KITCHEN OR BATHROOM SINK BLOCKED

• Have you tried using some Drano or a similar product to try and free the blockage? This is a product that costs a couple of dollars and can be purchased at the supermarket. IMPORTANT: do not use Drano on a kitchen sink where there is a garbage disposal or Insinkerator installed as it can damage the unit
• Have you tried pouring boiling water down the sink to free simple blockages like old soap and hair?
• Have you cleared minor blockages like food from the waste and “u” bend? Put a bucket under the pipe, unscrew the pipe under the sink (where possible) remove any blockage or build-up and re-screw the pipe back together.
• Remember not to put fat and oil into sinks as these will clog up the pipes. Please ensure you break down the oils and fats by pouring on some boiling water with dishwashing liquid
• If you are suffering from a major blockage with no water flow and/or sewerage overflow then contact us immediately. The above suggestions are appropriate only when the water is taking a long time to drain from your sink for example

DRIPPING TAPS

• Are the taps being turned off correctly, especially by children?

WASHING MACHINE IS NOT WORKING

• Are the washing machine taps turned on at the wall?
• Have you checked to make sure the appliance is turned on at the wall?
• Have you checked that the lid is closing properly?
• If the machine has stopped half way through a cycle, make sure the machine is not overloaded and out of balance – rearrange the items evenly in the bowl

CLOTHES DRYER NOT WORKING

• Have you checked to see if the lint filter needs cleaning out? Dryers can automatically shut down due to overload of lint in the filter and if they’re overloaded

GARAGE REMOTE CONTROL IS NOT WORKING

• Have you checked to see if the batteries are flat?
• Have you checked the combination to ensure that it is the same as the combination in the garage? This is not always possible to check as there are so many different styles of remote controls, but where possible you can take the cover off the remote control and find a number of codes inside. This same code is on the unit of the remote control in the garage – the combination on both should be identical
• Have you checked the lever inside the garage is on “auto”? The lever is generally next to the control box inside the garage. You can either choose “manual” to operate the door with the key or “auto” to operate the door with the remote control

SLIDING DOORS

• Have you checked to ensure that boxes, toys, clothes or other obstructive objects are not rubbing against the doors? Also check to see if an object is stuck in the tracks

DOOR LOCKS

• If doors lock on their own check if the button is stuck in the lock position. Some lock sets have a detent on the button, which can be gently pushed in and turned anti-clockwise to release the button.
• In apartments where there is an on-site manager firstly check with them in relation to communal keys, cards, garage remotes and entrance doors etc

TV RECEPTION

• Have you checked if the aerial is plugged in correctly?
• Have you checked that the plug and wires on your lead are in good condition?

CEILING FANS

• Check if the ceiling fan has a summer/ winter switch on the fan cowel and determine if it is in the required position i.e. the fan rotates clockwise as viewed from below for summer. Sometimes when cleaning this switch gets set half way between the two settings and the fan will not work

TELEPHONE

• All problems related to the phone should be directed to Telstra or your service provider

AIR CONDITIONER

• Check batteries in the remote are functioning
• Check the fuse/ meter box for condition of fuses and if safety switch has tripped due to possible overload – may need re-setting
• Have the filters been cleaned recently? Many modern wall mounted air conditioners have a reset button inside the wall panel that may need pressing after cleaning

If you have further questions call the Leo Tsimpikas Team on 07 3844 5909 or Email us at: admin@leotsimpikas.com.au.

Visit our website at www.leotsimpikas.com.au