Fast facts

Lessor/agents and managers are allowed to pass on the full cost of water consumption provided:

• the rental premises are individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle), and
• the rental premises are water efficient, and
• the tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for water consumption

Rental premises are considered water efficient if certain water fixtures meet the standards listed in the table below.

Water efficient devices	Minimum water efficient standard required
Internal cold water taps and single mixer taps (excluding bathtub taps and taps for appliances	A maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute
Showerheads	A maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute
Toilets	A dual flush function not exceeding 6.5 litres on full flush and 3.5 litres on half flush and a maximum average flush volume of 4 lites (based on the average of 1 full flush and 4 half flushes)

The requirement for taps applies only to internal cold water taps that are installed over a hand basin, kitchen sink or laundry trough (including single mixer taps). The requirement does not apply to other taps in the premises such as bath tub taps, outside taps for the garden, or taps which supply washing machines or dishwashers. These taps are not required to be water efficient.

At the start of the tenancy agreement, the lessor/agent and tenant should negotiate arrangements for water charging. The presence of water efficient fittings should be noted on the Entry condition report (Form 1a). Tenants must be given 1 month to pay any water bill after receiving the notice from the lessor/agent.

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

• plumbing reports
• paperwork from Home WaterWise services
• receipts
• packaging
• warranties or instruction manuals for taps and showerheads

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.