But first, Carol has to work out who that someone is.

When I found out the flooding in early May 2022, I notified the agent.

So I recorded, I sent a copy to the agent.

The first time when I notified, the agent did nothing nor did the building maintenance.

The agent sent a plumber to inspect the property and went off.

I heard nothing from building maintenance or the agent nor the plumber.

When a rental problem becomes a rights problem, you're usually dealing with state or territory law.

So the Consumer Affairs Victoria Property Inspector issued a formal letter saying that the property needs to be repaired immediately.

Carol's story begins inside her Melbourne apartment when rainwater starts seeping in from the terrace.

[rain falling] [speaking foreign language] My name is Carol Chin.

I grew up in Malaysia, and I've lived in Australia for more than 20 years.

Australia is now my second home.

Different states and territories have different names and processes, but the bigger point is this: when a rental problem becomes a rights problem, you're usually dealing with state or territory law.

So the Consumer Affairs Victoria property inspector issued a formal letter saying that the property needs, uh, to be repaired immediately.

I already started my own research of the Victoria Civil and Administrative Tribunal, uh, VCAT.

The hearing was scheduled within 48 hours.