What makes a Queensland rental water efficient?

The RTA says internal cold water taps over a hand basin, kitchen sink or laundry trough, single mixer taps and showerheads must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute, and toilets must have a dual flush not exceeding 6.5 litres on full flush and 3.5 litres on half flush, with a maximum average flush volume of 4 litres. Other taps such as bath, garden and washing machine taps do not need to be water efficient. For fixtures made from 2005 onwards, a WELS rating of 3 stars or higher meets the standard.

What water charges can a Queensland landlord pass on to a tenant?

Water usage charges and the State bulk water charge. Sewerage is not a service charge under the Act and cannot be passed on, and the owner must pay all fixed charges for water supply. The tenant cannot be charged more than the billable amount and cannot be charged late fees.

How long does a Queensland landlord have to pass a water bill on, and how long does the tenant have to pay?

The owner must give the tenant a copy of the water bill within 4 weeks of receiving it, or the tenant does not have to pay. The RTA's water charging page says the tenant then has 4 weeks to pay after receiving it from the owner; the RTA's older water charging fact sheet puts the same period as one month after the owner provides evidence of the costs.

Water charging rules in QLD: when you can bill the tenant, what you can bill, and the last day to pass the bill on

Q: Can a landlord charge a tenant for water in Queensland?

Only if 3 conditions are all met: the property is individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle), the property is water efficient, and the tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for water consumption. Even then the landlord must give the tenant a copy of the water bill within 4 weeks of receiving it, or the tenant does not have to pay.

Written for Queensland owners who manage their own rental. Checked against the Residential Tenancies Authority's water charging page, water charging fact sheet, rent and other bills page and charging for utilities page on 3 November 2026. Links to the official source are under each section.

The short version. Queensland lets you pass on the full water consumption charge, including the State bulk water charge, but only if 3 things are all true: the property is individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle), the property is water efficient, and the tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for water consumption. Water efficient means the internal cold taps over basins, sinks and laundry troughs, mixer taps and showerheads flow at no more than 9 litres a minute and the toilets are dual flush at no more than 6.5 and 3.5 litres; a 3-star WELS label on fixtures made since 2005 does it. You cannot pass on sewerage or any fixed water charge, you cannot bill more than the billable amount, and you cannot add late fees. You must give the tenant a copy of the bill within 4 weeks of receiving it or they do not have to pay. The tenant then has 4 weeks to pay you. If the property is not water efficient, you pay a reasonable amount and the tenant may pay the excess, and the Act does not define reasonable, so agree a figure in writing.

Can you charge at all? The 3 conditions

The RTA's water charging page says owners are "allowed to pass on the full water consumption charges (including bulk water charges) to tenants" if "the minimum criteria are met". All 3 have to be true, not 2 of 3.

Individually metered. The RTA's wording is "the rental premises are individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle)". A house on its own meter qualifies. A unit on a shared building meter does not, unless it has a sub-meter (more on that below).
Water efficient. The fixtures meet the flow and flush standards in the next section. If they do not, you are back to paying a reasonable amount yourself.
The agreement says the tenant pays. The RTA's wording: "the tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for water consumption". If your General tenancy agreement (Form 18a) does not say it, you cannot bill water this tenancy. Fix it at the next agreement.
And then the 4-week rule. The rent and other bills page says you "must provide a tenant/resident with a copy of the document from the relevant service provider" and "this must be done within 4 weeks of the property manager/owner receiving the document, or a tenant/resident is not required to pay for the service charges". It is not a 4th condition for charging, but miss it and the bill is yours anyway.

Source: RTA, Water charging and RTA, Rent and other bills

Check whether you can charge, and work out the deadlines

Answer the 3 questions, then enter the day the water bill reached you. If you have already given the tenant their copy, enter that day too and the tool gives their pay-by date.

Is the property individually metered (or is water delivered by vehicle)? Is the property water efficient (9 L/min taps and showers, 6.5/3.5 dual flush toilets)? Does the tenancy agreement state the tenant must pay for water consumption? Day you received the water bill Day you gave the tenant their copy (optional)

A date helper, not legal advice. The RTA says the copy must be given "within 4 weeks" of you receiving the bill and does not say whether the day you receive it counts or what happens on a weekend, so the tool counts 28 days from the day after you receive it and warns if that lands on a weekend without moving it. The tenant's 4 weeks are counted the same way from the day you give them the copy; the RTA's older fact sheet calls the same period one month. Send the copy the week it arrives and none of this matters.

What water efficient means

The RTA's water charging page says "a property is considered water efficient if certain water fixtures meet these standards". Only some fixtures count.

Taps: 9 litres a minute. "Internal cold water taps installed over a hand basin, kitchen sink or laundry trough" and single mixer taps must have "a maximum flow rate of 9-litres per minute". The RTA adds that "other taps don't need to be water efficient to meet the requirement": bath taps, garden taps, and the taps behind the washing machine and dishwasher are exempt.
Showerheads: 9 litres a minute. Same maximum flow rate.
Toilets: 6.5 and 3.5 litres. "A dual flush function not exceeding 6.5-litres on full flush and 3.5-litres on half flush", with "a maximum average flush volume of 4-litres". A single flush toilet fails the test no matter how new it is.
The easy test: 3 WELS stars. "For water fixtures produced from 2005 onwards, look for products with a Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) rating of 3 stars or higher". Older fixtures with no label need a flow test: a 9-litre bucket under the tap on full for 1 minute.
Proving it. The fact sheet says "lessors/agents should be able to demonstrate the presence of water efficient devices where it may be unclear" and that "the presence of water efficient devices should be noted on the Entry condition report (Form 1a)". The RTA does not require a plumber's certificate. Keep receipts, packaging or a plumber's compliance report with the agreement, and write the fixtures on the Form 1a. The bond page covers the Form 1a timing.

Source: RTA, Water charging and RTA, Water charging fact sheet

What you can bill and what you cannot

The RTA's table of items a tenant can be charged, in words:

Water usage charges: yes. The consumption part of the bill, in kilolitres.
State bulk water charge: yes. The RTA lists it as chargeable alongside usage. On most South East Queensland bills it is a separate line per kilolitre.
Sewerage: no. "Sewerage is not a service charge as defined by the RTRA Act and cannot be passed on to the tenant."
Fixed charges: no. "The property manager/owner must pay all fixed charges for water supply." That is the water access or service charge and the sewerage access charge, whatever your council calls them.
Not a cent more than the bill. "The tenant cannot be charged more than the billable amount." The fact sheet adds that you cannot "charge tenants late fees".

So a $420 quarterly bill made up of $110 water access, $180 sewerage access, $95 water usage and $35 bulk water lets you bill $130. Work it out from the bill, write the sum on the copy you give the tenant, and show the lines you used.

Source: RTA, Water charging and RTA, Water charging fact sheet

Passing the bill on: 4 weeks each way

You have 4 weeks from receiving the bill. The RTA: "the property manager/owner must provide a copy of the water bill within 4 weeks" and "the tenant/resident does not have to pay the bill if the property manager/owner fails to provide a copy" in that time. Tenants are not billed by the water authority; the fact sheet says owners "must provide their tenants with a copy of any water bills or evidence of water consumption".
The tenant has 4 weeks to pay. The water charging page: "A tenant has 4 weeks to pay a water bill after they receive it from the property manager/owner." The older fact sheet says "tenants have one month to pay the agreed amount for water consumption after the lessor provides evidence of the costs to the tenant." Same idea, 2 or 3 days apart; do not fight over which.
A copy means a copy. The RTA's wording throughout is "a copy of the document from the relevant service provider". A text message saying "water is $130 this quarter" is not that. Send the bill itself (photo or PDF is fine) with your calculation.
Sub-meters in units. "Multi-residential properties (like apartment buildings) may use sub-meters." If the service provider reads the sub-meter, "the water charges can be passed on" as normal. If you or the body corporate read it, "it's the responsibility of the property manager/owner to read sub-meters and pass the bill on", and it still has to reach the tenant "within 4 weeks of receiving the original bill". No sub-meter at all means no water charge: the RTA requires individual metering and gives no rule for splitting a shared bill by percentage.
Bills included in rent are outside all this. The 4-week rule "does not apply to service charges or utilities services that are included in the rent". If you set the rent to cover water, you cannot also bill for it.

Source: RTA, Water charging, RTA, Water charging fact sheet and RTA, Charging for utilities

Partial billing periods: the tenancy that starts mid-quarter

Most water bills cover a quarter. If the tenant moved in or out part way through, the RTA calls it a partial billing period, and you can only charge their share if the start or end reading was recorded.

The 3 conditions for a partial period. The RTA says a tenant pays for a partial period if the property is individually metered and water efficient, "a meter reading is recorded in either the entry or exit condition report", and "the amount owed is calculated based on a reasonable estimate of a tenant's water consumption" at "the current rate stated in the water consumption charges document".
Nobody is assigned the reading. "The Act does not specify who is responsible for recording the meter reading in these reports." The RTA "strongly advises both parties ensure the meter reading is recorded" in the Form 1a at the start and the exit report at the end. Photograph the meter on the day; a dated photo settles it.
No reading, no partial charge. The RTA says a tenant "may not be required to pay for water consumption charges for a partial billing period" without one, with 2 exceptions: the agreement starts at the beginning of the billing period, or the billing period ends on the day the tenant hands the property over.
The bill may not exist yet. If the tenancy starts mid-period and "the water bill is not available from the service provider, the property manager/owner does not have to provide a copy" at that point; you give the copy and your calculation within 4 weeks of the bill arriving.

Source: RTA, Water charging and RTA, Rent and other bills

If the property is not water efficient

You pay a reasonable amount, the tenant may pay the excess. The RTA: if the property is not water efficient, "the property manager/owner must pay for a 'reasonable amount' of water consumption" and "the tenant may be required to pay excess water charges".
Reasonable is not defined. "The term 'reasonable amount' is not defined under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (the Act)." The RTA says "the property manager/owner and tenant should agree on what is a reasonable amount". Agree a kilolitre figure or a dollar figure per quarter before the tenancy starts and write it into the agreement.
Or spend the money once. A 3-star showerhead, 3 tap aerators and a dual flush cistern are a few hundred dollars and turn every future bill into a pass-through. Note the fittings on the Form 1a and keep the receipts.
Leaks. The RTA's page covers concealed leaks only: owners "who have a large water bill due to a concealed leak may be eligible for financial relief" and "a leak remission scheme may be available in your area"; "if you think you have a concealed water leak, contact a licensed plumber and your service provider." The RTA pages do not state who pays for water lost to a leak. A burst pipe or serious leak is an emergency repair, so fix it under the emergency repairs rules first and sort the bill out after, by agreement or RTA dispute resolution.
Disputes. The fact sheet: "if the tenant and lessor/agent cannot agree about water charges, the RTA's dispute resolution service may be able to assist." Free, and the step before QCAT.

Source: RTA, Water charging and RTA, Water charging fact sheet

The mistakes self-managing landlords make with water

Billing the whole bill. Access and sewerage charges are yours. If you have been passing on the full amount, the tenant can ask for the difference back.
No water clause in the agreement. The efficient fixtures and the meter do not help if the Form 18a is silent. Check the agreement before you send the first bill.
Sitting on the bill. The bill lands in a drawer, the 4 weeks pass, and the tenant lawfully declines to pay. Forward it the day it arrives.
No meter reading at the start. Then the first partial quarter is on you. Write the reading on the Form 1a and photograph the meter.
Calling a single flush toilet water efficient. It is not, whatever the taps are. One old cistern means the property fails and you are paying a reasonable amount.
Adding a late fee or rounding up. Both are out. Bill the lines on the bill and nothing else.

A water bill deadline is 1 of about 30 dates you are meant to track

Water bill pass-on dates, routine inspection windows, smoke alarm tests, rent increase dates, bond lodgement, pet request responses, repair claim deadlines, notice periods, fixed-term end dates. The free Landlord Minder checklist puts every Queensland date and obligation on 1 page with a link to the official source for each.

Read the free checklist Get reminded before each date

Frequently asked

Can I charge for water if the property is on a shared meter?
No. The RTA requires individual metering (or a sub-meter read by the provider or by you) and gives no rule for splitting a shared water bill. If water is included in the rent, price it into the rent at the next increase instead; the rent increase page covers the 12-month rule.

Is 4 weeks the same as one month?
The RTA's current water charging page says the tenant has 4 weeks to pay; its older fact sheet says one month. The pass-on rule is stated as 4 weeks everywhere. Use 4 weeks for your own deadline and do not argue with a tenant who pays on the one-month date.

Do I need a plumber's certificate to prove the property is water efficient?
The RTA does not ask for one. It says you should be able to demonstrate the fixtures are present and should note them on the Entry condition report. WELS labels, receipts or a plumber's report all do the job.

Can I charge the tenant the sewerage usage part of the bill?
No. Sewerage, whether billed as access or usage, is not a service charge under the Act.

What if the tenant does not pay the water bill?
Water is not rent, so the rent arrears process does not apply. Talk first, then RTA dispute resolution. At the end of the tenancy an unpaid water bill can be claimed against the bond.

Can I charge for water in a rooming house or caravan park?
Yes, with the same individual metering, agreement and 4-week copy requirements. The RTA says the Act does not address partial billing for moveable dwelling and rooming accommodation agreements.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It summarises public information from the Residential Tenancies Authority and the Queensland Government. Check the linked official source or get professional advice before you act. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Sign up and reply to the welcome email, and it will be fixed.