A Pool Safety Certificate is a mandatory certificate in the area of Queensland. It may be issued by only a building inspector or pool safety inspector. You will require this type of certificate to be issued in case you have shared or are selling, leasing or renting a pool. Only an inspector licensed by the government carries out the safety inspection process for a pool. Let’s find out what makes this type of certificate so important.

Helps in leasing, selling etc.

This type of certificate is also referred to as Form 23. These play a vital role when it comes to entering into an arrangement for some building/accommodation with a pool or while leasing/selling the same. Shared pool certificates are legally valid for one year whereas those for non-shared pools are valid for two years. There is no matter the number of times that property having a certified pool is re-sold or re-leased over this time span. The pool safety certificate will still stay in effect.

Can stay valid for long


Even when there is the expiry of a pool safety certificate, there is no need for the owner of the property to get one more certificate immediately – unless he wishes to sell or lease the property. If the pool happens to be shared, the owner or corporate body that is in charge has to get this certificate and make it available for every owner of the unit. A single certificate can be sufficient and can cover every owner of the unit. For the same pool, there is no requirement for getting a separate pool certificate.

When the local government feels after the issuance of a pool safety certificate that the certified pool is in violation of the safety standards for pools in place, it can cancel the same with its authority. Once the certificate is cancelled, the corporate body or property owner needs to obtain another certificate after the sale or leasing of the property.

Proves conformance with safety standards

A pool safety certificate is a fully legal document and it indicates that a specific pool abides by the existing safety standards. There is a unique ID number for each certificate and a pool safety inspector has to make sure that there is an entry of the certificate in the pool safety register. An inspector cannot deny issuing of a pool certificate in the following grounds:

  • If the pool owner fails to pay the fee for inspection
  • If there is a contractual dispute
  • If the pool barriers or the pool itself does not comply with the approval for development
  • If there is no approval for development for the barriers or the pool itself

In case there is non-conformity and the inspector is left unsatisfied with the status of compliance of the pool with the safety standards, a separate form – Form 26 – will be given to the pool owner in two business days following the process of inspection. It is referred to as the “Pool Safety Nonconformity Notice”, clearly mentioning which areas the pool has failed to be in compliance with. It will also state with clarity what needs to be done for getting compliance. In case the pool owner has grievances, he can proceed and approach a dispute resolution committee to appeal the pool inspector’s decision. The owner needs to make the appeal in just 20 business days after the Form 26 is issued.

With a pool safety certificate, a pool owner can rest assured about the compliance of his/her pool to the safety standards and laws that are in place for swimming pools in Queensland.