Besides the physical risk, the last thing the Prime Minister needs is to have the state of her home compared to the state of her government.

''It could all come crashing down any minute,'' is one pun sure to be thrown up.

''House of cards,'' could be another.

And, ''the rot has set in, from the top down,'' would also be put to good use, as would ''watch out for leaks''.

Sources told The Canberra Times yesterday that The Lodge's roof had been in a state of disrepair for some time and would cost about $40,000 to fix.

When asked about The Lodge's condition, specifically the house's roof, Ms Gillard's office did not say if maintenance had been scheduled or was under way.

Neither did it confirm or deny that the Prime Minister's move-in date had been delayed because of the required work.

Upon taking office from her predecessor Kevin Rudd in June, Ms Gillard said she had no intention of moving into The Lodge until Australians had gone to the polls.

After being confirmed on Tuesday as Prime Minister of a slender minority government, she was asked when she planned on taking the keys to the official residence. Ms Gillard said she had not yet thought about it.

Mr Rudd's office was unwilling to shed any light on how long the roof had been in anything other than tip-top condition.

The modest Georgian revival-style mansion was built in 1926-27 and has undergone a number of major refurbishments since, with most prime ministerial families also adding their own personal touches.

In 2007, Mr Rudd returned to the tradition of prime ministers using The Lodge as their primary residence, following John Howard preferring to use Sydney's Kirribilli House during his 11 years in office.

The Lodge has been vacant since Mr Rudd and his family moved out in June.