Water Invoicing

How to prove that the premises are water efficient

In the event that a tenant disputes that the property is water efficient, it is strongly recommended that lessors invest in securing a water compliance certificate. This advice is directed mainly to this particular situation. Please be reminded to always make sure that water compliance certificates are updated to ensure that the tenants have not made any changes to it during the tenancy. Although there is really no legal water efficiency requirement, it would be best to have  evidence should there be any dispute about the property’s water efficiency.

If anything, it is highly recommended that the lessor obtain a water compliance certificate annually or at the end of each tenancy in situations where there are tenant disputes.

Below is the information from the RTA about how the lessor/agent can prove that a property is water efficient.

At the start of the tenancy agreement, the lessor/agent and tenant should negotiate arrangements for water charging and frequency of charges. The presence of water efficient devices should be noted on the Entry condition report (Form 1a).

Lessors/agents should be able to demonstrate the presence of water efficient devices where it may be unclear, such as by providing copies of:

• plumbing reports

• Receipts

• Packaging

• warranties or instruction manuals for taps and showerheads, etc.

For any water fixtures produced from 2005 onwards, the easiest way to check if they meet the required efficiency standard is to look for products with a WELS rating of three stars or higher. WELS is Australia’s water efficiency labelling scheme, which rates fixtures including taps, showerheads and toilets according to water efficiency – the more stars the better. To find out more about the scheme or search the registered product database, visit www.waterrating.gov.au.

Who pays for water in a rental premises?

The items a tenant can be charged