Swimming pools should be fun. However, drowning is one of the leading causes of death in Queensland for children under the age of five years old. Supervising young children, teaching them to swim and having effective pool fencing can save lives. This is why pool safety laws were introduced.
Bodies corporate are responsible for obtaining the compliance inspections in complexes with shared pools, such as apartment buildings, and giving a copy of the certificate to vendors and lessors within the complex.
Leasing a property
If a property with a pool is leased, the landlord or body corporate will be required to obtain a pool safety certificate before the lease is signed. The certificate will be valid for two years or one year if the swimming pool is a shared pool. An example of a shared pool is a communal pool in a unit complex. Any new leases or renewals that occur in that period will be covered by the existing certificate.
Pool Safety Certificate
If your body corporate record search notes that no pool safety certificate was sighted in the records this does not necessarily indicate that a pool safety certificate has not been issued. A copy is required to be displayed on the premises so check with the building manager, if there is one, or around the pool itself.
A shared pool, such as on body corporate common property, is for the benefit and enjoyment of all the lot owners and their respective guests.
The body corporate is responsible for maintaining the common property and part of that is obtaining, replacing and displaying the body corporate pool safety certificate.
Pool Safety
Source: QLD Building & Construction Commission
Resources: Strata Resources Queensland
© The Queensland Building and Construction Commission 2013
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