What is a Water Efficiency Certificate?
When it comes to getting your home ready to rent out, there are a huge variety of aspects to consider. From rental amounts to property managers to ensure the property is safe to lease, the list is endless and can seem a little overwhelming at times.
So, to make things a little easier we thought we would take one thing off your list – plumber (otherwise known as Water Compliance Certificates). They are a big thing when it comes to ensuring you can bill out any water used in the rental property to any tenants, so we thought we’d put a bit of information together as to what they are, how they work and who can issue them.
If you have any further questions regarding Water Efficiency Certificates, give Fallon Solutions a call on 1300 762 260 and we can assist.
What is a Water Efficiency Certificate?
A Water Efficiency Certificate is a document that states a particular property is certified as water-efficient.
What does a Water Efficiency Certificate cover?
According to the Queensland Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulations 2009 , the following key conditions must be met to receive a plumber :
- The rental property must be individually metered or bulk water delivered by a vehicle.
- All of the internal cold water taps in the rental property, except those serving a bath, are to deliver a maximum of 9 litres of water per minute.
- All shower heads in the rental property are to have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute.
- All the toilets in the rental property are to be dual flush, with the maximum flush volume of the full flush to be 6.5 litres, and the maximum for the half flush being 3.5 litres. Additionally, they must have a maximum average flush volume of 4 litres (based on the average of 1 full flush and 4 half flushes).
Who’s responsibility is it to obtain a Water Compliance Certificate QLD?
It is the responsibility of the property owner (Landlord) or a Real Estate Agent to speak to the plumber and arrange for a Water Efficiency Certificate to be issued.
Who can issue a Water Efficiency Certificate?
Only an appropriately qualified plumber can issue a Water Efficiency Certificate.
Why should you get a Water Efficiency Certificate?
If you are hoping to rent a property out, in order to on-charge all water expenses to a tenant, you must have a Water Compliance Certificate QLD issued. Landlords are able to pass on all water consumption charges, including bulk water delivery, as long as the following requirements are met:
- The rental property is individually metered.
- The rental property is certified water-efficient by an issued Water Efficiency Certificate.
- The tenancy agreement states that the tenant must pay the water consumption costs.
How can you ensure your rental property is compliant?
There are a few ways that you can ensure your rental property is water efficiency compliant, including:
- Upgrading tapware and outlets.
- Installing flow-restricting aerators.
- Installing flow restrictor fittings behind the spouts.
- Installing flow restrictors in taps.
All of the above can generally be completed by your local plumber, so get in contact with them for further information.
Your qualified and professional plumbing experts
If you have any questions regarding Water Efficiency Certificates, or would like to arrange for one of our friendly plumbers to come out and complete a Water Efficiency Certificate for your rental property, give Fallon Solutions a call on 1300 762 260 or Book Online today. We have considerable experience
Resources:
Residential Tenancies Authority (Water Charging): https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/Renting/During-a-tenancy/Rent-and-other-bills/Water-charging
Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulations 2009: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/2009-07-01/sl-2009-0074
