Pool Safety for tenants in Queensland

Tenant renting property with a swimming pool

Tenants are responsible for ensuring that the gate is kept closed and that there are not any objects that would allow children to access the pool.

If a person renting a property buys a pool that requires pool safety barriers, the owner of the pool must ensure the pool has a compliant pool safety barrier.

Portable pools and spas

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Portable pools and spas can pose a serious safety risk to young children.

A number of child drownings in recent years have occurred in portable pools and spas so it is important to consider the safety of young children around these pools.

Portable pools and spas excluded from the new laws

Queensland's pool safety laws do not apply to portable pools or spas that:

• cannot be filled with more than 300mm of water
• have a maximum volume of 2000 litres
• have no filtration system.

All 3 criteria above must be met to be excluded. Many models of portable pools sold at department stores and pool shops meet these criteria, but you should check before buying.

Portable pools and spas covered by the new laws

If your portable pool or spa can hold more than 300 mm of water, has a volume of more than 2000 litres or has a filtration system, the new laws apply to you. You will need to:

• obtain a certificate from a licensed building certifier stating that your pool complies with the pool safety standard, before filling the pool or spa with more than 300mm of water
• obtain a building approval
• register your pool or spa.

If your portable pool is disassembled and does not hold more than 300mm of water, it does not need to comply with the pool safety standard until it is assembled and filled with more than 300mm of water.

Improve your pool safety

The Queensland Government's pool safety awareness campaign calls on parents, those supervising children and pool owners to follow the ABC of pool safety:

• Always supervise your children near a pool.
• Begin swimming lessons for your children.
• Close the pool gate and keep your fence maintained.
• Ensure that there are no climbable objects near the pool fence and gate. This includes pot plants, BBQ’s, chairs, tables or items that children can use to access the pool. (it is illegal to have climbable objects near the pool).

Did you know?

• Child drownings in Queensland swimming pools accounts for one quarter of all paediatric injury deaths and is the most common cause of traumatic death for children aged 1 to 4 years.
• Approximately half of all drownings involving children under 5 years occurred in residential swimming pools.
• For every child drowning, up to 14 children are taken to hospital emergency departments, and 4 are admitted to hospital.
• Approximately 6-7% of children will develop neurological deficits and will be permanently disabled or die as a consequence of nearly drowning.
• It is estimated that for every child taken to hospital emergency departments, there are 10 near misses—that is, children suffering immersion who are quickly rescued.

This information has been sourced from www.hpw.qld.gov.au October 2012 by www.realestateexcellence.com.au

Real Estate Excellence Member Update Mid October 2012

The Real Estate Excellence www.realestateexcellence.com.au Mid October Member update will include the following information. Members will be emailed the Update this week.

Member Update ·        Pool laws – an update ·        New RTA forms reminder ·        Routine maintenance/inspection risk management

Licensee/Administration Best Practice ·        Real Estate Fraud prevention guidelines

Residential Sales Best Practice ·        The importance of ensuring marketing is not misleading - $800 000 fine

Residential Property Management Best Practice ·        The two greatest myths in property management – rent increases and repeated breaches

Member Update October - Special Edition

The October Real Estate Excellence Member Update is to be emailed to all Members on the 2nd October 2012.

The special Member Update edition will include the following information

* Landlord information sheet to be provided to lessor's regarding the coroners recommendations and the importance of building and termite inspections with instructions sought with the recommendation
* Review of Queensland hot water system laws
* Agency wins commission due to the effective cause of sale
* Community management statement removal update (sales

Licensee/Administration Update with information about the coroners recommendations into the tragic death of a child in a rental property due to a faulty deck.
Sales best practice advice regarding sales properties with identified risk and or maintenance
Advice to property managers on immediate review recommendations in light of the coroners report.
Plus information about upcoming Routine Inspection/Maintenance training being held throughout Queensland in October and November http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

For more information about Real Estate Excellence and or Membership, visit www.realestateexcellence.com.au

Routine Inspections and Maintenance Forms

Available for download for Members now – Folder Routine Inspections and maintenance

This information is also available to non members of Real Estate Excellence for a small fee
http://www.realestateexcellence.com.au/membership-and-training/cat_view/80-training-and-consultancy-services

 

Information to follow include 62 best practice recommendations for reviewing maintenance and routine inspection procedures. Keep an eye out for the October Member Update - special edition reporting on the tragedy of the death of a child in a rental property and the coroners recommendations. Routine inspection and maintenance training being held throughout Queensland - for more information visit http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

·        Tips for inspection decks and balconies


·       Tips for pool owners, agents and landlords

·        Window, decks and balcony safety

·         Safety Switch information

·        Landlord disclosure statement

·        Seller disclosure statement

·        Landlord letter – urgent attention for maintenance

·        Lessor letter – maintenance obligations

·        Lessor wishing to use their own contractors

·        Letter to lessor, curtain, blinds safety

·        Lessor failure to attend to maintenance

·        Maintenance risk letter to tenant

·        Property inspection information for tenants

·        Routine inspection cover letter for lessors

·        Routine maintenance report template

·        Routine maintenance policy template – agencies

·        Routine maintenance policy template – for tenants

·        Routine maintenance policy – for lessors

·        Smoke alarm instruction form for lessor

·        Smoke alarm letter for lessor

·        Tenant maintenance and request form

·        Termination of management agreement due to maintenance

·        Termite and building inspection letter for lessor

For more information contact Stacey Holt www.realestateexcellence.com.au

Property Management Training Queensland

Given the report handed down this week in Queensland from a coroner in regards to the tragic death of a child in a rental property, I have reacted quickly for the benefit of my clients and our industry and will now be presenting a very important training session that will be written based on the coroner’s report. The training programme will be written based on the coroners recommendations for the industry.

 

This hands on practical training workshop will discuss the following matters;

* What the coroner has recommended for our industry

* The law regarding carrying out routine/periodic inspections

* Best practice advice regarding how to carry out an inspection

* Best practice regarding maintenance procedures

* What to do if a lessor does not respond to maintenance requirements

* Risk management advice regarding procedures and routine inspections including maintenance

Best practice scripts/letter templates will be provided including
* lessors who won't respond to maintenance
" lessors who wish to carry out their own maintenance
* lessors who wish to use their own contractors 

One session per area - October and November 2012.

For more information about locations, time and registration, visit

http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

Mid September Real Estate Excellence Member Update 2012

Contents of Real Estate Excellence Mid September Member Update
Topics	Page Number
Member Update ·        Cairns Real Estate Agent fined ·        Brisbane Real Estate Agent fined ·        Safety switches and maintenance systems ·        $7000 First home buyer grant ends 11th October 2012 ·        Updated member agreements reminder ·        Change of membership structure ·        New RTA Forms coming	4 4 and 5 5 5 and 6 6 7 7
Licensee/Administration Best Practice ·        Trust Account risk management tips	8 and 9
Residential Sales Best Practice ·        A reminder to pass on all offers to sellers	10 and 11
Residential Property Management Best Practice ·        Landlord sues agency for not sighting original ID from tenants	12 and 13

The update will be emailed to members early given the amount of important information currently at hand www.realestateexcellence.com.au

The amazing work that property managers do - the story of one

Below are parts of emails exchanged between myself and a wonderful property manager.

It is hard to read this without getting a tear in your eye. I know that I sure did. Property Managers do a lot more than collect rent. They are often under valued and unappreciated by some. I wanted to shared with you through my blog to show one of the many 'other things' that property managers do other than manage property.

To the property managers reading this, I take my hat off to you and say that you are greatly valued and appreciated by me and I am sure by many others (some just forget to say thank you!). You do an awesome job!

We have a tenant who is 90, we have had him for about 8 years and actually inherited him when the property was sold.

The tenant came up on our arrears list which was very unusual, so we went to the property and left a card in the door.Yesterday morning we received a call from one of the neighbours to say that he had passed away and that the police had  been to the units and told them.
I rang the police yesterday morning to try and confirm as we know this gentleman’s wife passed away a few years again and he had no family.

 Police had no record of him passing away.

 We went to the unit yesterday afternoon to make sure he wasn’t in the unit and to speak to the other neighbours. They told us he passed ways a week or so ago and that the police were the ones that notified them.

In the unit we found the dishes not done, bed not make, glasses ext still there  and looked like he just up and left as it. The mail had not been taken from the letterbox for about 2 weeks.

We then went down to the police station  again and was told they had nothing registered and for us to contact John Tonge  as they should have some record if he has passed away.

 John Tonge had no record and suggested the coroners , they had no record, rang births deaths & marriages they couldn’t help due to the privacy.

 
Going through the mail I noticed a letter from the bank  addressed to the  estate of , so I contacted someone I know in the bank and it seems they were notified by the coroner.

There is no next of kin. One of the other girls & I went to the unit on Saturday to try and go through his personal items and see if we could get anything for his niece on Germany. 

 

We had a lovely working bee and got a lot sorted and packed ready for the salvos to collect .  Well we were going through the wardrobes cleaning and packing his clothes and what do we come across  His wife’s ashes that have been there for 20 years.

We both looked at each other and said what do we do with these! Anyway yesterday I rang the coroner’s office and they contacted the funeral place who picked them up today and will keep with his ashes. After 12 months they will spread them around the rose gardens.

www.realestateexcellence.com.au