NSW real estate agents threaten renters with fees if they are not home for tradespeople – but legally they don’t have to be

More than 2,100 people contacted the tenants' union in 2024 for advice about access, despite no basis' for the charge

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New South Wales real estate agents are threatening renters with fees as high as $330 if they are not at home to let maintenance workers in, despite there being no legal requirement for renters to personally allow entry.

On 8 July, Lauren Gillin's agency told her she needed to be home during a two-and-a-half-hour window seven days from that date to allow access for a smoke alarm inspector or pay a $90 fee.