The general rule
- Your own system, inside your lot: usually the lot owner's responsibility to repair or replace.
- A shared system or plant room: usually the body corporate's.
- A system serving one unit but sitting in common property: it depends on the by-laws and the plan, so check before booking work.
If you're renting
Tenants should report a hot water fault to the property manager or owner straight away. Under Queensland tenancy law, a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance for hot water is an emergency repair, so let them know it's urgent (see the RTA's repairs fact sheet).
Before we arrive
Tell us the building's rules on work hours, lift bookings and parking, and where the hot water system is.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your community management statement and by-laws decide who is responsible in your building.
Common questions
Who pays for a new hot water system in a unit?
Usually the lot owner if the system serves only their unit and sits within their lot. Shared systems are usually the body corporate's responsibility. Check your by-laws.
Is no hot water an emergency repair for a rental in Queensland?
Yes. The Residential Tenancies Authority lists a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance for hot water as an emergency repair. Tenants should report it to the property manager or owner straight away.
Sources and further reading
- Business Queensland: hot water systems (temperature control devices on new and replacement systems)
- QBCC: Form 4 notifiable work (installing, replacing or removing a water heater)
- Clean Energy Regulator: solar water heaters and air source heat pumps (STC eligibility)
- Residential Tenancies Authority: emergency and routine repairs