From 23 March 2025, all toilets in rented properties must be dual flush with a minimum three-star rating in accordance with the Commonwealth Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme.
Landlords who intend to replace or upgrade existing toilets in their property should consider installing dual flush toilets with a minimum three-star WELS rating to meet the water efficiency requirements by 23 March 2025.
As part of your routine inspections, you should be checking that dual flush toilets are installed and flag any properties that still have single flush units that need to be updated by the deadline.
The Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) is an Australian government initiative in partnership with state and territory governments. https://www.waterrating.gov.au/
The WELS scheme uses a rating system to help consumers make informed choices about the water efficiency of products they buy.
Management of the scheme is the responsibility of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, working in partnership with industry and state and territory governments.
All plumbing and drainage products listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products must be WaterMark certified, before it can be installed by a licensed plumber. This is required by law in Volume Three of the National Construction Code (NCC).
If the product type is listed on the Schedule of Products but is not WaterMark certified, a licensed plumber is not permitted to install it.
You can search the WaterMark product database to confirm the product you want to buy is WaterMark certified.
You can search by:
- WaterMark licence number
- product type, brand name, model name or model ID, or
- licensee name.
https://www.waterrating.gov.au/choose/compare#check-our-database-2
If you can’t find a specific product, it may not:
- be registered
- deliver the indicated performance
- meet other requirements such as WaterMark certification.