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AFTER-HOURS EMERGENCIES

Unfortunately, problems at your rental property often occur when our office is closed. Do not panic! The following is a guide to help you manage any issues until we can assist you.

 

WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY?

An emergency is a serious, unexpected, or dangerous situation requiring immediate action. Any situation posing an immediate threat to your health, the environment, or that may cause further damage to the property if left unattended, is considered an emergency.

  • Burst water services or flooding

  • Broken hot water system

  • Blocked sewerage

  • Gas leaks

  • Serious roof leaks

  • Electrical faults causing damage or endangering lives

  • Lift faults (for apartment buildings)

  • Damage caused by storms, fire or flood

  • Burglary

 

 In the event of an emergency at your property please refer to the following emergency guide:

 

BREAK IN, ROBBERY AND/OR DAMAGE TO GLASS

  • Contact the police on 000 or 131 444 and file a report, you will need to obtain a police report number. If a police report number is not available to the landlord for insurance purposes, the tenant may be liable for the cost of the repair. 

  • Contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

  

GAS APPLIANCE NOT WORKING – INCLUDING GAS HOT WATER SYSTEM

  • Ensure you have called a gas provider (eg Alinta, Kleenheat) and opened a new account 

  • Locate gas meter box and turn lever to the ON position 

  • Check the electrical meter box to see if the RCD trip switch has flicked off. Some gas appliances need electricity to ignite. If it has, see “NO POWER” section below. 

  • For gas hot water systems, check the pilot light to see if it is on, if it is not on, please re-light. If you don’t know how to do this the instructions are on the inside panel of the hot water system. Google is also a great resource. 

  • Still not working? Contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

  

As you may or may not be aware, the procedure adopted by Alinta Gas & Kleenheat when a property is vacated is as follows: 

  • Previous tenant contacts gas provider to have gas account finalised

  • Gas provider attends property and physically turns off the gas at the gas meter box by throwing the lever on the inlet gas pipe

 The result for the incoming occupant is that all gas has been drained from the gas line for all appliances in the dwelling, requiring that they re-ignite any pilot light/s and ensure that gas has reached the appliance before it will operate satisfactorily.

 

Please note that for an appliance to work, the gas must travel from the gas meter box all the way to the appliance, which in some instances takes quite a long time, 1-2 minutes at most.

To ignite the appliance, please ensure that the appliance button or knob that releases gas is kept depressed until gas can be heard coming from the appliance. Then push the igniter button or knob. Ignition instructions are usually on the small flap at the side of the water heater.

The instructions on the appliance usually only advise that the flow button needs to be held depressed for a short period of time. This is only true when the gas is already available at the appliance and does not have to travel through the system to the appliance.

In the case of pilot lights that have gone out, it is the occupant’s responsibility to have the system re-ignited. It is not the owner’s responsibility unless the appliance is faulty, which is seldom the case. If a service person is called to ignite the system, the account payment will be the tenant’s responsibility.

  

ELECTRIC HOT WATER SYSTEM NOT WORKING

  • Check the electrical meter box to see if the RCD trip switch has flicked off. If it has, see “NO POWER” section below. 

  • Still not working? Contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

  

GAS LEAK / SMELL OF GAS

  • Contact Alinta Gas on 13 13 58. They will give you instructions on what to do. If they are unable to assist, see below. 

  • When it is safe to do so, also contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

  

WATER LEAK - WATER IS BURSTING OUT

  • Turn water off at mains, if leaking roadside of water meter please call the Water Corporation on 13 13 85 immediately. The mains tap is usually located at the front of the property, often in line with the letterbox. 

  • Contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

 

BLOCKED TOILET

  • If there is only one toilet on the property and it is unable to be used at all, please contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers. 

  • If there are 2 toilets, please use the working toilet and report the problem to our office during business hours  

 

FIRE

  • Call 000 and leave the house immediately 

  • When it is safe to do so, also contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

 

LOCKED OUT OF THE HOUSE

  • If during office hours, call the Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357.  Spare keys are available at the office. We will need to positively identify the person collecting the keys. Loan keys must be returned same day before 5pm. 

  • If after hours or on weekends/holidays, you will need to call a locksmith to help you back into the property. You will be responsible for all costs and will be required to provide a new key to our office if the barrel is changed. 

 

STORM DAMAGE / FLOODING

  • Contact the State Emergency Service on 13 25 00 for urgent assistance 

  • When it is safe to do so, also contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

  

NO POWER

  • Check your electrical meter box and ensure all switches are in the ON position. If yes, ensure you have paid your power bill and/or that there is not a suburb outage. Call Synergy on 13 13 51 to confirm this. 

  • If one switch keeps flicking to the OFF position, see our “ELECTRICAL ISSUES GUIDE” attached and follow the steps. 

  • Still not working? Contact Swan Real Estate on 9255 1357 and leave an emergency message with our after-hours service. A text message will then be sent to one of our Property Managers.

 

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT CONSIDERED EMERGENCIES:

  • Blocked toilet (if there is more than one toilet at the property)

  • Stove or oven not working

  • Blocked pipes, shower or sinks

  • Hot water system going hot and cold

  • Reticulation repairs

  • Leaking taps

  • Faulty TV reception-antenna or internet problems

 

These issues will of course require our prompt attention during normal working hours.  Please report all such issues in writing to the office, either through our online Maintenance Request Form at www.swanre.com  or via email direct to pm@swanre.com