Just got stung with a $550 plumber bill in order to obtain a water efficiency certificate for one of my older IPs... As a landlord in Queensland you are able to charge tenants for their water consumption and water usage charges, provided you obtain a certificate from a plumber who has tested the internal taps, showerheads and toilets to ensure they are compliant with state water efficiency standards. These certificates usually range in price from $100-$150, however my most recent IP purchase was a tad neglected by the previous owner, so in order to become compliant it required new taps, showerheads and vacuumed beakers on garden hose taps. Interested to know if anyone has ever paid this much for a water efficiency certificate?
Just remember you can't just start charging for water consumption. It has to be written on the lease first. Marg
@Scott No Mates has asked the question that came to my mind on reading your post. It sounds like you have paid for work done, not just the test. And if the work needed to be done before getting the all clear, then the question should be whether that cost was steep, not about the cost of the certificate itself? For "new taps, showerheads and vacuumed beakers on garden hose taps" plus the actual compliance certificate, $550 doesn't sound too high, but it comes down to what price and quality of taps and shower heads were installed.
Yeah $550 for parts, labour and certificate.. maybe next time it'd be worth taking a trip to bunnings in an attempt at frugality
It does seem a bit high, my record is about $300- I had a number of taps and a shower head replaced at an old Queenslander. The water efficiency requirements for the WELS3 certificate really aren't that strict. Mind you, depends what work was done.
It may have only had single flush toilet and the whole cistern may have been replaced. Thats when I have seen with higher water compliancy invoices
Question - do you actually need the 'water efficiency certificate' My understanding is it's a made up thing by plumbers to 'settle disputes' with tenants and for them to profit of this relatively recent change in the act. Water charging fact sheet | Residential Tenancies Authority
The certificate in of itself doesn't warrant charging of full water usage- the house just needs to be WELS3 compliant. The certificate just happens to be the best way of warranting that the house is compliant, but only so far as nothing is changed to make it not compliant since the certificate was completed (which I note, doesn't have an expiry or requirement to be renewed periodically).
@Orion unfortunately PMs arent qualified plumbers so we cannot state if the property is water compliant or not. But if the owner can prove the property is Wels 3star then this proof needs to be provided to the agent.
Ring up a local handyman in any local weekly free paper and they want $80.00 call out fee in Brisbane to quote any work and want "CASH" and most would not even know what the word insurance is.. . Myself for that price and hours travel and the problems that surface that the title holders never thinks about is a good price,as most plumbers don't want this type of work as there is always more to do then what anyone thinks..imho..
