If you manage rental properties or strata-titled buildings in Western Sydney, smashed door glass is a regular call. The variations are endless. Tenant locked out and broke a panel to get in. Drunk neighbour put a fist through a balcony door. Wind slammed an unsecured glass door against a brick wall. Whatever the cause, the response is the same. This checklist is what we use with the property managers we have worked with for years.
The short answer
Get the property safe first, document the damage with photos and a police number if relevant, lodge the strata or landlord insurance claim, book a same-day make-safe, and schedule the permanent replacement. Communicate at each step with the tenant, the owner and the insurer. Most claims close within 7 to 14 days if you follow the order.
The 15-minute checklist
When the call comes in, work this list:
- Confirm tenant is safe and not injured.
- Confirm property is secure or boarded up.
- Get the address, lot number and access details.
- Ask whether police have been called (for break-ins).
- Get the event number if police attended.
- Note the damage in writing (single panel, frame, etc).
- Take or request photos.
- Confirm whether anyone is on site to let the glazier in.
- Call the emergency glazier and quote the event number.
- Email the owner with a summary and next steps.
- Open the strata or landlord insurance claim.
- Schedule the permanent replacement in the calendar.
That is the whole 15-minute response if you have your contacts in order.
Common situations and how to triage
Smashed sliding door at a unit. Usually the highest priority because access is now open. Same-day make-safe with timber or polycarbonate, permanent replacement within 24 to 72 hours.
Cracked front door panel. Less urgent if the door is still locked, but plan a make-safe within 24 hours and replace within a week.
Broken balcony glass on a high floor. Safety priority. Tape off the balcony, prevent access until make-safe is done. Plan replacement within 5 to 10 days.
Bathroom mirror smashed. Make-safe is just clean-up. Replacement within 5 working days. Lower priority unless it is the only mirror in the unit.
Shower screen exploded. Fairly common with cheap toughened glass. Clean-up is the priority. Replacement within 1 to 2 weeks. Tenant uses a different bathroom in the meantime if there is one.
Who pays for what?
The most common confusion in strata is who pays. For a typical NSW strata-titled rental:
- Common property damage (e.g. building entry doors, common windows): strata insurance.
- Lot-internal damage (interior partitions, mirrors, glass within the unit): owner’s insurance.
- Tenant damage (drunk friend put a hand through the door): tenant’s contents insurance, then bond, then tenant.
The strata manager and the landlord work this out. The glazier just invoices whoever signs off.
For our Cranebrook, Penrith and broader Western Sydney clients, we invoice direct to the strata company, the property manager, the owner, or the insurer depending on how the job is set up.
Documentation that closes claims fast
A clean claim has all of these in one folder:
- Photos of the damage (before make-safe).
- Photos of the make-safe.
- Photos of the permanent replacement.
- Police event number if relevant.
- Damage report from the glazier.
- Quote on glazier’s letterhead.
- Invoice with GST split.
- Certificate of installation.
If you keep this template in a property management system, you can close claims in days instead of weeks.
Communication script for tenants
The tenant is usually shaken or annoyed. A clear message helps:
“We have spoken to a glazier. They will be at the property between [time] and [time] today to make the door safe. A permanent replacement is being scheduled for [date]. They will phone you 30 minutes before they arrive. Please keep [pets] in another room and clear the area around the door.”
Send it as a text. The tenant has a record. The glazier has access. Everyone knows what is happening.
Communication script for owners
The owner usually wants reassurance:
“There has been damage to the door glass at [property]. We have arranged for a licensed glazier to make-safe today. The insurance claim has been opened (claim number [X]). Permanent replacement is scheduled for [date]. Estimated cost (covered by insurance less excess) is approximately [$amount]. Photos and full report will be sent within 24 hours.”
Owners who get this email do not call to chase status.
Working with an account glazier
If you manage a portfolio of properties, set up an account with a local emergency glazier. We do this with many Western Sydney property managers. The setup is a 10-minute phone call. Once it is live, the next emergency is half the time.
The benefits:
- Priority phone routing.
- Pre-approved pricing for common jobs.
- Single invoice per month if you prefer.
- Photo report formatted for your software.
- Direct dispatch without re-explaining the property.
- Key holdings on file for properties without on-site tenants.
We offer this for emergency glass repair and routine work across Penrith, Castlereagh, Cranebrook, Glenmore Park and the rest of Western Sydney.
Specifications for replacement door glass
Most NSW rental door panels should be:
- Toughened safety glass to AS/NZS 2208. This is the legal minimum for door panels and sidelights.
- 6mm minimum thickness for small panels, 10mm for larger.
- Laminated if the door is on a balcony or pool fence.
- Frosted or obscure in bathrooms and where privacy is needed.
If the original door had non-compliant annealed glass (common in older NSW units pre-1990s), the replacement must be upgraded to safety glass. Insurance covers the upgrade because it is required by current code.
Lead times for door glass
Standard replacement door panels:
- 6mm or 10mm toughened clear or obscure: 5 to 8 working days.
- Specialty patterned glass for older doors: 10 to 15 working days.
- Laminated balcony glass: 7 to 12 working days.
- Sliding door replacement panels: 7 to 14 working days.
Same-night make-safe in all cases.
Repeat offender properties
Some properties have repeat glass damage. Drunken neighbours, family disputes, even an aggressive front door slam can do the same panel three times in a year.
A few suggestions:
- Upgrade to laminated glass instead of toughened. Lasts longer against repeated impact.
- Add a door restrictor or stopper to prevent slamming.
- Recommend the owner consider a different glass type if the layout is causing repeated breakage.
- Document the pattern for insurance underwriting purposes.
After the third replacement on the same panel in a year, most insurers start asking questions.
A note on the police number
For genuine break-ins, the police event number is critical. The insurer will hold the claim until you provide it. Tell tenants:
“If a break-in is suspected, ring 131 444 (police assistance line) and ask for an event number. Provide it to us by text when you have it.”
Without the number, the claim often stalls. With it, the claim moves.
When to call us
Call us as soon as a door glass call comes in:
- Smashed front, side, balcony or rear door glass.
- Cracked sliding door panel.
- Broken mirror in bathroom or hallway.
- Exploded shower screen.
- Any glass damage that requires same-day attention.
Phone 02 4722 2787 twenty-four hours a day. For non-urgent jobs and quotes, the contact form is the fastest path.
FAQ
Can we work with you on a property management account? Yes. Email sales@pantherglass.com.au or call during business hours to set up. Most accounts are live within a week.
Do you provide reports in our property management software format? We can match most formats. Send us a sample and we will adapt.
What if the owner refuses to approve the replacement? Make-safe is usually approved by the strata manager or property manager without owner sign-off. Permanent replacement may need owner approval depending on cost. We hold the temporary glass in place until the approval comes.
Will you bill us or bill the owner direct? Either. Tell us on the job setup which way you want it.
A smashed door is a one-hour problem if you have the checklist and the right glazier. The 15-minute version is enough to close it down.
