This customer service charter tells you the standard of service you can expect from the CTTT.

What do we do?

The CTTT is an independent decision-making body that helps resolve disputes about tenancy, social housing, home building, general consumer claims (including goods and services), residential parks, strata and community schemes, motor vehicles, retirement villages, and commercial matters throughout NSW.

What level of service can you expect from us?

In every contact you have with the CTTT you can expect us to:

• treat you fairly with respect and courtesy
• provide a timely and reliable service that meets our service standards
• make it easy for you to access our services
• respond in a timely manner to any concerns or suggestions you may have.

The CTTT aims to assist you promptly in resolving your dispute.  We have established customer service standards that vary depending on the type of dispute.  Visit our Divisions pages for more information about our customer service standards.

How can we help you?

CTTT staff can only provide information about procedures and cannot provide legal advice.  This is explained in our CTTT Registry staff: What we can and cannot do fact sheet. 

The Getting help fact sheet lists a wide range of services in NSW that can help you with your legal questions.  These fact sheets are also available from CTTT Registries or from our website.

As part of our customer service standards you can expect to:

• telephone the CTTT Registry during business hours and have your call answered generally within 2 minutes
• email ctttenquire@cttt.nsw.gov.au or write to the CTTT Registry with a general enquiry and receive a response within 7 to 14 days.

Other assistance we provide

To help you access our services we also provide the following assistance:

• Interpreters can be arranged for a CTTT hearing for any party on request - this service is free.
• For the hearing impaired, hearing induction loops facilities can be made available upon request, and professional Auslan interpreters can be arranged to interpret during proceedings.
• All CTTT Registries and most hearing venues are wheelchair accessible.
• If you have additional needs or cultural requirements or you have concerns about your safety at the hearing, contact the CTTT for assistance.
• CTTT public information sessions are held regularly and give an overview of the CTTT’s jurisdiction and proceedings.
• The videos Get it Sorted and Getting a Fair Go show how the CTTT resolves disputes.  These can be viewed online, at CTTT Registries, and are available at other locations such as Fair Trading Centres and local libraries.

The CTTT’s website www.cttt.nsw.gov.au provides a wide range of general and procedural information.  You can also obtain material from CTTT Registries or by request through the mail or via email.

Resolving a dispute at the CTTT

Lodging an application

You will need to fill in an application form and pay the appropriate fee.  Forms are available online at www.cttt.nsw.gov.au, from CTTT Registries and Fair Trading Centres.

Applications for most disputes can also be lodged online at any time through www.cttt.nsw.gov.au.

What happens next?

Once you have completed the application form and paid the right fee you can usually expect:

• A notice confirming your hearing details in sufficient time to allow you to make arrangements to attend the hearing.  You may get this notice immediately if you lodge the application online.
• An urgent hearing if there is threat to person or property.  In these cases the matter can generally be listed within 7 days.

As both parties need time to prepare for hearing, urgent hearings will only be agreed to in exceptional circumstances.

Your hearing

Hearings will usually be held at the CTTT venue closest to the place of dispute or where the goods or services were provided.

All hearings are open to the public.  You may bring a support person to the hearing.  Information about representing yourself at a hearing is available on www.cttt.nsw.gov.au.

The CTTT manages matters in a variety of ways including conciliation; a hearing over the telephone; asking you to write down the issues and send the information to us (known as a written submission); asking you to do something at a directions hearing; and an informal or formal hearing.

Come prepared for your hearing and be clear about what you are seeking.  Be prepared to genuinely conciliate with the other party.

The decision

After the completion of a matter, a notice of the orders made by the Tribunal Member at the hearing will be forwarded to parties within 5 days of the hearing unless the Tribunal Member reserved the decision.

If you want a written statement of reasons for the decision, the request must be made in writing within 14 days of receiving the notice of the orders.  We will generally send written reasons within 28 days from the date of the request.

All written decisions are published on the AustLII website www.austlii.edu.au.  Decisions on the AustLII website can also be directly accessed from the Decisions page.

You can help us

We can provide you with a better, faster and more accurate service if you:

• give your name, contact details including your email address and any matter number when you contact us
• tell us promptly of any name or contact detail changes
• respond in a timely way to our requests for information
• provide us with all relevant information
• treat our staff with courtesy and respect
• write to us if you resolve your dispute before the hearing so we can cancel hearing and interpreter arrangements.

Your feedback is welcome

The CTTT is always looking for ways to improve its services.  We welcome your feedback and suggestions.  You can:

• complete the online feedback form
• write to us about CTTT procedures or other issues about the standards outlined in this fact sheet to: Chairperson or Registrar, CTTT, GPO Box 4005, Sydney NSW 2001
• telephone or fax in your comments or feedback.

For information about the CTTT’s complaint handling process, see the Making a complaint fact sheet.  A response to your complaint will be provided within 28 days.