16 September 2020
Spontaneous ceiling collapse
Imagine you are eating dinner or watching television and suddenly the ceiling caves in. This may sound far-fetched but unfortunately ceiling collapses are not uncommon. They occur for many reasons including storm damage, water leaks, inappropriate materials or poor workmanship.
Warning signs
Be on the lookout for any warning signs of ceiling collapse at your home, including:
- a loud cracking sound in the ceiling;
- sagging or dropping of the plasterboard sheeting and/or the cornice; and
- cracks and/or small circles or blisters (nail pops) on the ceiling. These are a sign the plasterboard sheeting may be pulling away from the nails or screws.
Your obligations
A ceiling collapse can cause serious injury and damage both your possessions and a room’s structure.
Let your landlord or property manager know straight away of any damage to your home. This is also an important step if you’ll need to make any claim against your landlord for costs from a ceiling collapse.
Landlord obligations
Your landlord must:
- keep the premises in a reasonable state of repair during the tenancy,
- meet building, health and safety laws, and
- attend to the repairs* in a timely manner, particularly with regard to matters that could be deemed urgent repairs.
iRentWA app retirement notice
Consumer Protection launched the iRentWA app in 2014 to help tenants and landlords manage their rental arrangements. We have recently retired the app due to high maintenance cost and all information provided in iRentWA being readily available on the Consumer Protection website.
Users with iRentWA currently installed can continue to use the app, but any problems that arise won’t be able to be fixed.
Please note the Consumer Protection website continues to be your go-to place for all
renting information.
Need some assistance?
For any enquiries about tenancy rights and responsibilities contact 1300 304 054 or email consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au.