Backyard pool certification for homes listed for sale or rent must be certified under new compliance laws before April 29, 2015, but current inspections carried out across the Hastings have revealed an astonishing 95 per cent failure rate for safety.

While six months remain until the laws come into full effect, local property agent Michelle Percival said feedback locally has indicated compliance certification could take up to four months due to the failure rate and subsequent demand for trades to carry out rectification works.

"We have always worked with investors to ensure their pools are compliant but the April 29 deadline has required inspections be carried out to ensure the paperwork has been issued in time," Mrs Percival said. "We are advising people wanting to put their property on the market in 2015 to have their compliance checks done immediately.

"We believe the current turn around for compliance to be issued is around three to four months due to the high failure rate of pool inspections and the backlog occurring due to the demand for associated trades.

"Our hands will be tied if property owners are not prepared - we will not be able to tenant their property or sell it within the time frame they require without that certificate."

The Swimming Pool Register is a state government initiative designed to reduce the number of children drowning in backyard swimming pools. The register will help councils and water safety agencies direct water safety and compliance information to pool owners.

According to Royal Life Saving, backyard swimming pools remain the most common location for drowning deaths in children under five years of age.

In the past 10 years, 67 children under four years of age have drowned in NSW swimming pools alone.

tracey.fairhurst@fairfaxmedia.com.au