Who is responsible for a blocked drain in Victoria: tenant or landlord?

Licensed plumbers explain who’s responsible, when, why, and what to do next

A blocked drain in a rental is stressful enough without the added confusion of working out whether it’s the landlord or tenant who’s meant to pay. The truth is, who’s responsible for a blocked drain in a rental depends on what caused it — and that’s where a clear guide and professional advice make all the difference.

As licensed plumbers who’ve been working across Melbourne for decades, we’ve seen just about every kind of rental drain dispute. From tenants blamed unfairly for structural failures to landlords left covering the cost of blockages clearly caused by misuse, we know how these situations play out. With over 600 five-star reviews from both renters and landlords, you can trust we’ve built our reputation on solving these issues fairly and professionally.

In this guide, we’ll break down the responsibilities step by step. You’ll learn:

• When tenants are liable
• When landlords carry the cost
• How plumbers determine the cause
• And why prompt reporting protects everyone

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to do next and how to keep a frustrating blockage from turning into a costly dispute.

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Who pays for a blocked drain in a rental property?

In Victoria, the cost of fixing a drain in a rental property depends entirely on the cause. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, both tenants and landlords have obligations to keep the property fit to live in. Here’s how it breaks down in practice:

• Tenants are likely responsible when the blockage is caused by misuse, like flushing wipes down the toilet, pouring fat down a kitchen sink, or letting foreign objects go down the drain. In these cases, it becomes the tenant’s responsibility to pay for plumbing and to get the drain fixed.
• Landlords are responsible when the problem comes from structural maintenance issues such as tree roots, collapsed pipes, or an ageing plumbing system. The responsibility of the landlord under the Act is to maintain the property and ensure the property is in good repair.

When the cause isn’t obvious, a plumber’s report (often including a CCTV drain inspection) is what decides whose responsibility it is. In Melbourne, these reports are frequently used in tenancy disputes to settle who is responsible for fixing a blocked drain.

When is the tenant responsible for clearing a blocked drain?

In most cases, tenants are responsible for plumbing problems when the issue comes from how the property was used day to day. Put simply, if your actions caused the blockage, you’ll usually be footing the bill. Here are the situations where your landlord can charge you with a clogged drain when the evidence points back to you:

• Flushing the wrong things: Wipes (even “flushable” ones), sanitary products, or nappies don’t break down. Once they go down the drain, they snag and create clogs. If a plumber’s camera shows these in the toilet, the cost is on the tenant.
• Food scraps and grease in the kitchen: Pouring oil or fat down a kitchen sink coats the pipes, while food scraps harden into solid blockages. When the plumber finds this buildup, it’s clear the tenant’s misuse caused the blockage.
• Foreign objects in drains: We’ve found everything from cotton buds to kids’ toys wedged in drains. These are classic cases where tenants must cover the repair because the damage was caused by negligence.
• Ignoring the warning signs: A slow drain or bad smell is often the first sign of a blocked drain. Tenants also need to report these issues early. Waiting until the drain fully backs up can make the repair worse — and landlords may argue you’re liable because you failed to act.
• Bathroom fittings and fixtures: Hair, soap scum, and foreign matter washing through a fixture like a shower or basin drain usually count as wear from use. But when the buildup is excessive, it still falls under tenant misuse and becomes their cost.

In short: when it comes to maintenance and everyday use, tenants carry the responsibility. If the blockage was avoidable through proper care, the bill is yours.

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When is the landlord responsible for clearing a blocked drain?

Some problems go beyond everyday use. By law, plumbing problems can be the landlord’s responsibility when they’re tied to the structure of the home or its age. In these cases, the landlord is responsible for the cost of repairs because the blockage comes from issues tenants cannot control.

• Tree roots in drains: In older Melbourne properties, tree roots often break into pipes. Clearing root blockages and repairing cracked pipes is something the landlord is responsible for, since it comes from the property’s condition, not tenant misuse.
• Old pipes and natural wear and tear: Terracotta or ageing PVC will eventually collapse or leak. This type of natural wear and tear is the responsibility of the landlord, who must maintain the property and keep the plumbing system in a safe state of repair.
• Sewer or stormwater system issues: If the sewer backs up because of a collapsed line, or if external drainage fails due to shifting soil, the landlord may also be responsible for significant repairs. These issues are part of the property’s infrastructure, so tenants aren’t liable.
• General upkeep of the plumbing system: The landlord’s plumbing responsibilities are to ensure every pipe and fixture is clean and free from damage at the start of a tenancy, and that the property is in good repair throughout. If a blockage comes from poor upkeep, the landlord is also responsible.

In short: when it comes to blocked drains caused by structure, age, or the broader plumbing system, the landlord responsible for repairs must step in. Tenants don’t carry the cost for problems they couldn’t prevent.

How Outright Plumbing accurately determines the cause of a drain blockage

When a drain is blocked due to an unknown cause, you need more than guesswork — you need proof. That’s why we use specialist tools to show exactly what’s happening inside your pipes.

• CCTV inspections: A small camera runs through the line, giving clear footage of what caused the blockage. This evidence is often used to decide who pays when blocked sewage repairs are paid for by either the tenant or landlord.
• High-pressure water jetting: We clear the pipe while also checking the flow of water, which shows if the issue was grease, wipes, or something structural like tree roots.
• Specialist drain equipment: As licensed drain plumbers, we use cutting tools and advanced machinery to unblock drains safely without damaging the system.

This level of detail is why property managers often call in a blocked drain specialist like us. The evidence we collect takes the heat out of disputes and gives both sides confidence that the result is fair.

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Why prompt reporting matters for tenants

If you spot a slow drain or smell something off, treat it as an urgent repair and call your landlord straight away. Under the Act, tenants have a duty to report problems promptly. Waiting too long can make the damage caused worse and leave you also responsible, even if the original fault wasn’t yours.

We see this all the time — a small clog that could’ve been cleared cheaply turns into a collapsed pipe. In those cases, tenants end up sharing the responsibility for the repair simply because they didn’t act fast. The safest move is to get the issue logged and get the drain fixed before it spirals. Our emergency plumbing services are there for exactly that reason.

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Call Outright Plumbing for blocked drains in rental properties

When a blocked drain in a rental needs fixing, you want a plumber who’s fair, accurate, and trusted by both sides. Here’s why Outright is the team to call:

• Licensed and insured plumbing services with decades of experience across Melbourne
• CCTV inspections and detailed reports to fairly assign responsibility in disputes
• Specialists in blocked drains and sewer plumbing issues, from quick clears to full repairs
• Reliable solutions for shower plumbing needs, including shower repair and regrouting
• Hundreds of five-star reviews from tenants and landlords who trust our professional service

Don’t leave it to chance. Call Outright Plumbing today and get the blockage fixed properly, with the evidence you need for peace of mind.