Plumbing on a rental property: a checklist for landlords and property managers

Tenants rarely report small faults. A dripping tap or a running cistern is not their water bill, so it goes unmentioned until it turns into a stained ceiling. Here is a rental property plumbing checklist for Queensland landlords.

The plumbing checklist for a rental inspection

1. Run every tap, hot and cold, and look for drips at the spout and in the cupboard underneath.
2. Flush each toilet twice and watch the cistern fill and stop. A cistern that keeps running wastes water all day.
3. Run each shower and bath, and check the water drains away without pooling.
4. Fill and empty each basin and sink. Slow drainage is the early sign of a blockage.
5. Check hot water reaches the taps, and look around the hot water system for wet ground or rust stains.
6. Check the outdoor taps and the ground around the water meter for damp.
7. Look in the laundry and under sinks for staining, swollen cabinet bases or mould.
8. Look at the ceilings below bathrooms for stains or sagging.

A tap or toilet fault found on the checklist is a small plumbing repair. The same fault found in a ceiling is not. If you manage several properties, list everything found and book it in one visit.

What the minimum housing standards say about plumbing

The RTA's minimum housing standards include "adequate plumbing and drainage" and a connection to hot and cold water that is suitable for drinking. They also require bathroom privacy and flushable toilets connected to a sewer, septic tank or other waste disposal system. The standards applied from 1 September 2023 to agreements signed or renewed from that date, and from 1 September 2024 to all remaining tenancies.

Under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 the lessor must keep the premises fit to live in and in good repair, and make sure they meet the prescribed standards. A plumbing fault is the lessor's to deal with unless the tenant caused it.

Emergency repairs: what a tenant can do

The Act lists the emergencies that count. The plumbing-related ones are:

• A burst water service or a serious water service leak
• A blocked or broken lavatory system
• A serious roof leak
• A gas leak
• A failure of the gas or water supply to the premises
• A failure of an essential appliance for hot water, cooking or heating

If the tenant cannot notify the lessor or their nominated repairer, or the repairs are not made in a reasonable time, the tenant can arrange a suitably qualified person. The limit is four weeks' rent. The tenant gives the lessor written notice with the paperwork, and the lessor has 7 days to reimburse before the tenant can apply to a tribunal. The RTA's emergency repairs page sets out the process.

The practical fix for property managers is to give every tenant a nominated repairer and a number that gets answered. Our emergency plumbing hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm, so tenants also need to know who to call outside them.

Who pays: the lessor or the tenant

The RTA says the owner generally pays for routine repairs unless the tenant, or a guest, caused the damage. The tenant must tell the lessor about damage as soon as practicable. Make reporting easy: a slow leak reported early costs the lessor less.

Water bills have their own rules. A tenant can be charged for consumption only if the property is individually metered, the agreement says the tenant pays, and the property is water efficient. The RTA lists a maximum flow of 9 litres a minute for taps and showerheads, and dual flush toilets not over 6.5 litres on a full flush and 3.5 litres on a half flush. The lessor must pass on the supplier's bill within 4 weeks or the tenant does not have to pay it, and fixed charges cannot be passed on.

Inspections and entry for repairs

A routine inspection needs at least 7 days' notice and cannot happen less than 3 months after the last one unless the tenant agrees. Entry for repairs needs 48 hours' notice, and no notice is needed in an emergency. Entry is not allowed on a Sunday or public holiday, or before 8am or after 6pm, unless the tenant agrees. Timing a plumbing check with the routine inspection saves a second visit.

Plumbing work on a rental must be licensed

The QBCC says regulated plumbing work must be done by a QBCC licensed plumber or drainer. Minor work such as unblocking a drain, repairing a broken pipe or replacing a fitting needs no report, and notifiable work is registered with the QBCC when it is finished. Gas fitting needs its own licence, issued by the Chief Gas Examiner and RSHQ. Check the licence before the job, not after.

For a leak, a burst pipe or leak repair should happen the same week. For a system on its last legs, see repair or replace: what decides it for an old hot water system.