What are my rights if a tradesperson does bad work in Australia?
Researched by the LokalMatch editorial team1 answer
The paint is patchy, two doors do not close, and the painter says the job is finished and wants the balance.
Answers (1)
LokalMatch EditorialLokalMatch editorial
Three guarantees come with every service, automatically, whatever the contract says. Under the Australian Consumer Law a service must be carried out with an acceptable level of care and skill, must be fit for any stated purpose along with anything it produces, and must be supplied within a reasonable time where no time frame was agreed.
They are guarantees rather than warranties, which is the difference that matters. They are not something the trader grants you and can therefore withdraw; they attach to the transaction and cannot be contracted out of.
Patchy paint and doors that will not close is a care and skill question, and the practical move is to put the specific defects in writing with photographs, and to say what you want done about them, before you pay the balance. A list is much harder to argue with than a complaint.
These rights sit alongside your state's building laws rather than replacing them. On licensed building work there is usually a state regulator and a tribunal as well, and on a bigger job that route often gets you further — but the consumer guarantees are the floor, and they are there even on the small jobs nobody registers.
Answers come from pros and are reviewed by LokalMatch before they’re published. They’re general information — for regulated or safety-critical work, have a licensed professional assess your situation.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from.
Consumer rights and guarantees — Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (accessed 24 September 2026)