Water Efficiency Certificate Gaythorne, Brisbane: Landlord Tips

Water Efficiency Certificates in Gaythorne: A Guide for Landlords

As a landlord, is there anything more frustrating than paying for utilities that your tenants are using? While you want to provide a comfortable home, covering the cost of excessive water usage can significantly eat into your rental yield.

However, in Queensland, you cannot simply pass these costs on to your tenant without meeting specific criteria. Recently, the team at Fallon Solutions visited a rental property in Gaythorne to help a local landlord solve this exact issue. They needed a water efficiency certificate to ensure their property was compliant, allowing them to legally charge for water consumption.

Here is how we helped them secure their certificate and how we can help you do the same.

The Problem: The Cost of Non-Compliance

Under Queensland Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) laws, a landlord can only ask a tenant to pay for water consumption if three conditions are met:

1. The property is individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle).
2. The tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for water consumption.
3. The property is water efficient.

Without official proof of the third point—specifically a compliance certificate—the landlord remains liable for the full water usage bill, regardless of how much water the tenants use.

The “symptoms” of this problem aren’t leaky pipes or blocked drains; they are financial. Without a water efficiency check, you are effectively subsidising your tenant’s water use. Furthermore, without water-efficient fixtures, the property consumes more resources than necessary, which is bad for the environment and the utility bill.

The Solution: A Comprehensive Water Efficiency Check

To resolve this, our local plumber arrived at the Gaythorne property to conduct a thorough audit of the plumbing fixtures. To issue a certificate, the property must meet minimum standards set by the government.

Here is what our home plumbing inspection involved:

1. Flow Rate Testing We tested all internal cold water taps and showerheads. To meet the standard, these fixtures must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute.

• What we did: We used a flow cup to measure exactly how much water was being dispensed.
• The Fix: In the ensuite, the showerhead was flowing at 15 litres per minute. We installed a flow restrictor behind the shower rose—a simple, high-quality component that reduces water volume without ruining the shower pressure experience.

2. Toilet Inspection We inspected the toilets to ensuring they were dual flush.

• The Standard: Toilets must have a dual flush function that does not exceed 6.5 litres on full flush and 3.5 litres on half flush (and a maximum average of 4 litres per flush).
• The Result: The toilets were modern and compliant, requiring no adjustment.

3. Leak Check A property cannot be deemed efficient if it is leaking. We checked all taps, toilets, and the hot water system for drips or running water.

Once we confirmed that all taps, showerheads, and toilets met the required standards, we issued the Water Efficiency Certificate (compliance report) on the spot. This document is the “golden ticket” the landlord needs to legally pass water usage costs to the tenant.

The Benefits for the Gaythorne Landlord

Securing this certificate provided immediate value to the property owner:

• Financial Return: The landlord can now legally charge the tenant for 100% of the water consumption charges. Over a 12-month lease, this can save the owner hundreds of dollars.
• Legal Protection: With the certificate on file, the landlord is protected in the event of a dispute with the tenant or the RTA regarding billing.
• Environmental Impact: By installing flow restrictors and ensuring water efficiency, the property wastes less water, contributing to a more sustainable community.

Property Value: Modern, efficient plumbing fixtures are a selling point for future tenants who are conscious of their own utility bills.

Why Choose Fallon Solutions?

When it comes to rental compliance, you need a plumber who understands the legislation as well as the pipes. At Fallon Solutions, we are experts in Queensland’s rental laws regarding plumbing.

We don’t just “tick a box.” If your property fails the check (for example, if a tap is flowing too fast), our trucks are fully stocked with water-saving aerators, flow restrictors, and compliant shower heads. This means we can usually fix the issue and issue the certificate in a single visit, saving you time and money on call-out fees. We provide a professional, written report that you can hand directly to your property manager. For more information on our bathroom plumbing services, visit here.

Checking Your Waters Efficiency

Don’t let your rental profits wash away with the water bill. Ensuring your property is compliant is a simple, cost-effective step that protects your investment and ensures fair play for both you and your tenants.

If you need a water efficiency certificate or a general plumbing check for your rental property in Gaythorne, ensure it is done correctly. Contact the experts at Fallon Solutions today for same-day service! Call us on 1300 054 488 or send us an enquiry here. We Can Be There Today!