Garage Door Repairs in Queensland Rentals: Who Pays and What's Urgent

Question 01

Who pays for garage door repairs in a Queensland rental?

It comes down to what caused the problem. The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) says the owner is responsible for fair wear and tear. If a tenant or their guest damages the property, the tenant may have to pay. A spring worn out by age and a door the tenant reverses into likely land on different sides of that line.

The RTA's repairs guide gives two examples. A tenant who breaks a window by throwing a ball through it has to pay for the repair. A window that falls out because the old putty has aged "may be fair wear and tear", and then the owner may have to pay.

Its fair wear and tear guide says wear "happens during normal use of a property and through changes that occur with ageing and deterioration over time from exposure to the environment". The same guide lists careless or negligent damage as the tenant's responsibility. Damage from an approved pet isn't fair wear and tear either.

Real cases turn on the facts. If you can't agree, ask the RTA. Either way the door still needs fixing, and the RTA says the owner or manager must carry out repairs within a reasonable time. For a fault that isn't urgent, that means booking garage door repairs.

Question 02

Is a broken garage door an emergency repair in Queensland?

It can be. The RTA's emergency repairs list doesn't name garage doors. It does include "a fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or insecure" and "a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a tenant". The RTA doesn't say which garage door faults fit, so ask them if you're not sure.

These are the items on the RTA's emergency repairs list that tend to come up with a garage door, word for word:

• "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"
• "serious storm, fire or impact damage"
• "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 RTA says any repair that isn't on the list is a routine repair. The minimum housing standards matter here too. A rental must "have functioning locks or latches on all external doors and windows that can be reached without a ladder". Fixtures and fittings must be "not likely to cause injury through normal use". Repairs needed to meet those standards are emergency repairs. The RTA doesn't say whether a garage door counts as an external door.

Whatever the label, a door that won't close at night or a car trapped inside needs sorting fast. Thom takes 24/7 callouts for emergency garage door repairs across the Sunshine Coast. Call 0402 882 653.

Question 03

Who should a tenant call when the garage door breaks?

Check the tenancy agreement. The RTA says it must include the name and phone number of the nominated repairer. It must also say who's the first contact for emergency repairs: the property manager or owner, or the nominated repairer. For anything else, the RTA says to tell the property manager or owner in writing as soon as possible.

1. 01Make it safe. Stop using the opener, put the remotes away and keep people and pets out from under the door.
2. 02Find the emergency contact. It's in the tenancy agreement, with the nominated repairer's name and number.
3. 03Report it. Ring first if it's urgent. Then send a short email or message with photos, so there's a written trail.
4. 04Keep paying rent. The RTA says a tenant should never stop paying rent because of a repair issue, as this may be a breach of the agreement.
5. 05Leave routine repairs to the owner or manager. The RTA says a tenant shouldn't organise routine repairs without written permission.

If a routine repair drags on, the RTA's routine repairs guide points to a Notice to remedy breach (Form 11). That gives the owner or manager at least seven days to fix the problem.

Question 04

Can a tenant arrange an emergency repair and get the money back?

Yes, within limits. The RTA says a tenant can arrange emergency repairs if they aren't dealt with promptly, or if the tenant can't reach the owner, manager or nominated repairer. The cap is four weeks' rent. The tenant then asks for the money back in writing, with receipts, and the owner has seven days to repay.

• Who to try first. The emergency contact named in the tenancy agreement.
• The spending limit. If the emergency contact can't be reached in a reasonable time, either the tenant or the property manager can arrange repairs. The RTA puts the cap at "a maximum value of 4 weeks rent".
• Getting paid back. The tenant asks in writing, hands over the receipts and gives the owner or manager at least seven days.
• If the money doesn't come. If the owner or manager doesn't pay it back, the tenant can make an urgent application to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).

For a tenant, the practical bit is paperwork. Keep the invoice and the photos, plus a note of who you rang and when. The RTA's guide for property managers and owners sets out the same seven-day repayment.

Property managers: want Thom's number on your Sunshine Coast leases as the nominated garage door repairer? Call 0402 882 653 and talk it through. For a door that's already playing up, book a callout.

Question 05

What should a property manager keep on file for the garage door?

Enough to settle a wear-or-damage question quickly. That means photos of the door in the entry condition report, the nominated repairer's details, dated repair and service invoices, and a count of the remotes handed over. The RTA says photos and condition reports can help avoid disputes about the property's condition at the end of a tenancy.

• Entry condition report photos. The whole door, inside and out, plus close-ups of any dents or rust. For a general tenancy the RTA's entry condition report is Form 1a.
• A few seconds of video. The door running up and down on day one shows how it moved before the tenancy started.
• The nominated repairer. Name and number, as the tenancy agreement needs them.
• Every invoice. Dated, with a note of what was fixed. A service invoice shows the door was looked after.
• The remotes. How many the tenant got, so a missing one is easy to sort at the end.
• The tenant's repair requests. Their messages and your replies, kept together.
• Exit condition report photos. Taken from the same spots as the entry ones, so they line up.

The RTA's condition and repairs fact sheet says the tenant must leave the premises in a state similar to the entry condition report, less fair wear and tear. Good photos make that easy to check.

Changing tenants? The new home garage door checklist covers clearing old remotes from the opener.

Question 06

Does a landlord have to service the garage door?

The RTA doesn't set a garage door servicing schedule. Its condition and repairs fact sheet does say the owner must maintain the premises and inclusions in good repair throughout the tenancy. A regular service is one practical way to keep on top of that. Worn parts get picked up early, and it leaves a dated record.

Thom's guidance is a service once a year for most homes, and every six to nine months where a door runs many times a day. Garage door servicing covers what each visit checks.

A tenant might put up with a noisy or slow door for months, because it still opens. So ask about the garage door at routine inspections. A grinding or banging door is often worth a look before it stops. What a noisy garage door is telling you explains the common sounds.

Question 07

How much should a landlord budget for garage door repairs?

There's no set figure, because it depends on the door and what fails. Repairs and servicing are booked as a callout valued between $200 and $300 depending on the door size and the labour involved. Budget for the parts that wear out over time: springs, cables, rollers and the opener.

• Which part has failed. A spring, a cable, a roller and an opener are all different jobs. Spring replacement cost and motor replacement cost cover the two big ones.
• Whether a second part is due. On a two-spring door, the other spring has done the same work as the broken one.
• How long since the last service. A small problem left alone can wear out other parts.
• How close it is to the beach. Salt air is hard on metal parts. Salt air and garage door rust covers what helps.

For how long springs and openers tend to last, see how long garage doors last. Garage door service and repair costs explains what the callout covers.

Question 08

What about holiday lets?

The RTA says Queensland's tenancy law doesn't cover holiday lettings. So the rules above, from the emergency repairs list to the four weeks' rent cap, are written for regular tenancies. A holiday let needs its own plan: who guests ring when the door won't close, and who comes out to fix it.

Holiday homes around Kings Beach and Mooloolaba can sit quiet for weeks, then get heavy use in the school holidays. Guests don't know the door's quirks. And a guest who can't get the car out will ring whoever is on the booking.

Quick checks between guests:

• Run the door all the way up and down, once with a remote and once with the wall button.
• Watch it the whole way. It should move smoothly and evenly, without jerking or grinding.
• Count the remotes and swap flat batteries early. Garage door remote not working? covers the common fixes.
• Put the safety reverse check on your regular list. Safety sensors and auto-reverse shows how.
• Leave a note with a number to call, and ask guests not to force the door.

If a check turns something up, book a callout between stays rather than waiting for a guest to find it.