Swimming pool NSW law changes - attention property owners

Recent changes to NSW swimming pool laws impose new  added obligations on property owners with swimming pools.

 

Property owners must, before 29 October 2013, register swimming pools on their property with their local council and obtain certification, or face a fine.  If this applies to you, you can register, now, online on the NSW Swimming Pool Register, here.

 

Will you be selling your property, with a pool?  You will... one day.  Note the following new requirement.

 

From 29 April 2014, contracts for the sale of land on which there’s a swimming pool, must have attached to them:

1.  A copy of either: a valid certificate of compliance; or an occupation certificate less than 3 years old authorising the use of the swimming pool; and
2. Evidence that the swimming pool is registered – this will be a new additional compulsory prescribed document.  While this is a topic for another article, if a compulsory prescribed document is not attached to a contract at the time it’s entered, the buyer has additional rights to get out of the contract, even if the buyer’s cooling-off period has expired.

Is your property an investment property and you’re not selling?  From 29 April 2014, you won’t be able to lease it without first providing a valid compliance certificate.

  

A major reason for the tightening up of swimming pool laws, of course, is to further combat children drownings and near drownings.

There's still a little time but if you're a pool owner, don't be complacent.