Property Managers in NSW began 2011 with twelve months to work with their landlords and tenants to ensure all separately metered rental properties were in fact Water Efficient. The amnesty period for properties in NSW to be Water Efficient ends on the 31st January 2012, twelve months on from the The Residential Tenancies Act 2010 coming into affect.

Possibly causing the greatest stir following the introduction of the new legislation, there was an early rush for properties to be checked for leaks and three star water ratings to the required tap-ware. Many called on plumbers for inspections and handyman for certificates to show that yes, the water flow from each of the taps in question was flowing at 9 litres per minute, the required measurement for a three star water rating.

Fair trading NSW offered the helpful advice for property managers to use a bucket and stopwatch for the numerous taps in each property, should Water Efficiency need to be checked.

Evidence for Water Efficiency was not called on but many feared tenants would take this opportunity to contest the large water usage component of their Water Authority Accounts. Has this happened? Where to now?

The rules haven’t changed but the concern has subsided.  In the event a landlord wishes to charge the tenant for water usage, the property must be Water Efficient by the 31st January 2012.  Water Efficient requires that the shower heads, bathroom hand basin and kitchen cold tap or flixmasters must not have any leaks and when turned on and have a water flow of not more than nine litres per minute.

How will this become an issue?  If the tenant refuses to pay water usage on the grounds the property is not water efficient.

We think it would be a great marketing opportunity to let you’re landlords know that this date is approaching, perhaps you could do this with a message on you’re statements this month, an email or a blog post to you’re website.  This kind of information is great knowledge for landlords to be aware of but even better when you are delivering the news.