Dealing with after-hours emergencies

What do I do if I need after-hours emergency maintenance service when the strata is closed? Can I directly call a service and later get the money reimbursed by the strata? What if they say it wasn't an emergency in the first place and I could have waited until the normal business hours?

What do I consider an emergency? Sometimes I cannot guess the severity of the problem. If water comes flooding in into my unit, that's obviously an emergency.

If there is a small but consistent dripping from the roof on a Friday night, I'd panic and would be quite restless because I wouldn't have a clue if the water is going to spread around the walls and cause extra damage until Monday morning. Is this an emergency?
 
Is this a hypothetical question or do you have a burst water pipe flooding your property right now? :D
I would clarify with my strata managers and they may be able to provide their 24hr emergency contacts if they do not accepts the calls directly.

If you still cannot get this sorted I would go on the guidelines of what fair trading considers an urgent/or emergency repair.

The law distinguishes between urgent (emergency) repairs and those which are not so urgent. Urgent repairs are:
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 or fire damage
a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises
a failure or breakdown of the hot water service
a failure or breakdown of the stove or oven
a failure or breakdown of a heater or air-conditioner
a fault or damage which makes the premises unsafe or insecure.
 
What do I do if I need after-hours emergency maintenance service when the strata is closed.


If there is a small but consistent dripping from the roof on a Friday night, I'd panic and would be quite restless because I wouldn't have a clue if the water is going to spread around the walls and cause extra damage until Monday morning. Is this an emergency?

A) are you the owner or the tenant?
B) contact the executive committee members
C) contact the property manager
D) Contact a neighbour who might be having the same issue.


In case of minor water leaks, use a saucepan or bucket to catch the drips.
 
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