The rule: certificate before the tenancy agreement
A valid certificate of compliance (or relevant occupation certificate) must be in place before entering a residential tenancy agreement, with a copy provided to the tenant. Certificates last 3 years. The pool must be on the NSW Swimming Pool Register first.
Strata rentals
Leasing a unit in a scheme of more than two lots? The scheme carries the shared-pool compliance - but tenants still get pool documentation where applicable, and owners' corporations that let certificates lapse expose every landlord in the building. Worth a question at the AGM.
The 3-year cycle in practice
With continuous or rolling tenancies, the certificate quietly expires mid-tenancy - technically fine until the next new agreement, but agencies increasingly re-certify on the 3-year mark regardless, because a compliant barrier is the actual legal obligation year-round and councils inspect proactively before summer.
For property managers
The certificate is a listing prerequisite like smoke alarms. Private E1 certifiers do portfolio rates and fast turnarounds; council queues don't respect lease start dates.