Pool Safety Certificates for Rental Properties

Do I need a pool safety certificate to rent out my property in Queensland?

Yes. For a house or townhouse with its own non-shared pool, a current pool safety certificate must be in effect before entering into an accommodation agreement. This includes written, oral and implied agreements—not just a signed lease.

Check the QBCC pool register for an existing certificate before arranging a new inspection. If there is no current certificate, book early enough to allow for any repairs and re-inspection before the rental agreement is entered into.

What are the landlord’s pool safety obligations?

The pool owner must ensure the pool barrier complies with Queensland’s pool safety standard at all times. Having a certificate does not remove the obligation to maintain the fence, gate and other parts of the barrier.

Keep a record of the certificate and its expiry date, and coordinate repairs promptly if a gate stops closing or latching, fencing becomes damaged or another safety issue is reported. Do not wait for the next tenancy or inspection to address a known problem.

A letting agent can coordinate bookings and access, but the owner’s pool safety responsibilities continue. Share the certificate with your property manager so it can be kept with the property’s compliance records. The RTA recommends including a copy with the tenancy agreement; the entry condition report also records whether the tenant has received it.

Can a letting agent book the pool inspection?

Letting agents and property managers can arrange an inspection on the owner’s behalf. Use our online booking page, or call or text 0459 247 765 to discuss access and timing.

• Book the rental property’s address and suburb, rather than the agency’s office address.
• Use a contact email and phone number monitored by the person coordinating the inspection.
• Add the agency name, access arrangements and any relevant pool-area details in the booking notes.
• Confirm the owner has authorised the booking and who will arrange any work if the pool does not pass.

Allow time between the inspection and the proposed rental agreement. An inspection booking alone does not mean a certificate will be issued: the pool must pass first.

How should tenant access be arranged?

For an occupied property, the landlord or property manager should arrange lawful access with the tenant before the appointment. Follow the Residential Tenancies Authority’s entry requirements, including the correct reason for entry, any required notice and permitted entry times. Making an inspection booking does not itself authorise entry.

Confirm how the inspector will reach the pool, whether gates will be unlocked and who will attend or provide access. Tell us about pets and any access restrictions. Avoid putting alarm codes or other sensitive security information in booking notes; discuss secure access arrangements by phone.

Someone does not necessarily need to be home if access has been properly arranged. However, if doors or windows open into the pool area, we may need access inside the property as well. Agree this with the tenant and inspector in advance.

What happens during the inspection?

A licensed pool safety inspector checks the barrier against Queensland’s pool safety standard, including the fence, gate closing and latching, climbable objects, CPR signage and relevant doors or windows. Our inspections usually take 20–45 minutes, depending on the pool area.

Use our inspection checklist to prepare. If the pool passes, we issue the pool safety certificate (Form 23), usually the same day.

Sunshine Pool Safety’s inspection and certificate costs $195 including the government certificate fee. See the inspection inclusions.

How long do rental pool safety certificates last?

Queensland certificates are valid for two years for non-shared pools and one year for shared pools. Check the certificate is current before entering into a rental agreement; a new tenant does not restart its validity period.

A current certificate does not guarantee a barrier remains compliant after damage or changes. Maintain the barrier throughout the tenancy and check the expiry date well ahead of future letting arrangements.

What if the rental property uses a shared pool?

Shared pools, such as those in some apartment complexes, have different rules. The pool owner—usually the body corporate—is responsible for obtaining the certificate.

When leasing with a current shared-pool certificate, provide a copy to the new occupier and the pool owner. A copy must also be displayed as near as practicable to the premises entrance or pool access.

If there is no current shared-pool certificate, the Form 36 notification process applies: the property manager must provide the notice to the tenant or resident, the pool owner and the QBCC. The pool owner must obtain a certificate within 90 days of entering into the accommodation agreement. Coordinate the required notice with the body corporate and property manager using the QBCC’s shared-pool guidance. The barrier must still comply at all times.

What happens if the pool fails, and how do re-inspections work?

The inspector issues a non-conformity notice (Form 26) identifying the issues that need to be fixed. The owner or agent should arrange the work and coordinate any tenant access needed for repairs and re-inspection.

Request a re-inspection with the same inspector within three months of the notice. Sunshine Pool Safety includes one free re-inspection within three months of the original inspection. If no re-inspection is requested within the notice’s three-month period, the inspector must notify the local council.

You generally cannot ask another inspector to certify the pool during that period without QBCC’s written approval. Once the pool passes re-inspection, a certificate can be issued.