Residential Tenancies Act 1986, ss 40, 41, 45
You have to let the landlord know as soon as possible if you find any damage to the property or if repairs are needed.
If the repair is serious and urgent, or there’s a safety or health risk, and the damage isn’t your fault, you can get the repairs done and then claim the cost back from the landlord. But you have to make a reasonable attempt to contact the landlord first. You can’t deduct the cost of repairs from the rent unless you have the landlord’s permission or an order from the Tenancy Tribunal.
You can take any disagreements about repairs to the free mediation service provided by the government’s tenancy unit, Tenancy Services. If you can’t reach an agreement there, the Tenancy Tribunal can make an order for repair work to be done, or paid for, or both. See “Problems with your landlord: What you can do” in this chapter.