Water Bills? Should Tenant pay?
- Thread starter s050399b
- Start date
Talk to the PM - also notify the water company (call them up) and tell them the property is tenanted.
The Y-man
Residential Tenancies Act 1997 - SECT 52
Tenant's liability for various utility charges
52. Tenant's liability for various utility charges
A tenant is liable for-
(a) all charges in respect of the supply or use of electricity, gas or oil
in respect of the tenant's occupation of rented premises that are
separately metered except-
(i) the installation costs and charges in respect of the initial
connection of the service to the rented premises; and
(ii) the supply or hire of gas bottles;
(b) the cost of all water supplied to the rented premises during the
tenant's occupancy if the cost is based solely on the amount of water
supplied and the premises are separately metered;
(c) that part of the charge that is based on the amount of water supplied
to the premises during the tenant's occupation if the cost of water
supplied is only partly based on the amount of water supplied to the
premises and the premises are separately metered;
(d) all sewerage disposal charges in respect of separately metered rented
premises imposed during the tenant's occupation of the rented premises
by the holder of a water and sewerage licence issued under Division 1
of Part 2 of the Water Industry Act 1994;
** In short, where the property is separately metered, the tenant is liable for water usage and sewage disposal and the LL is liable for the rates portion of the bill. The bills should be split automatically by the water authority, if they arent simply contact the applicable authority and give them the tenants details and they will starts spliting the bills from now on.
Tenant's liability for various utility charges
52. Tenant's liability for various utility charges
A tenant is liable for-
(a) all charges in respect of the supply or use of electricity, gas or oil
in respect of the tenant's occupation of rented premises that are
separately metered except-
(i) the installation costs and charges in respect of the initial
connection of the service to the rented premises; and
(ii) the supply or hire of gas bottles;
(b) the cost of all water supplied to the rented premises during the
tenant's occupancy if the cost is based solely on the amount of water
supplied and the premises are separately metered;
(c) that part of the charge that is based on the amount of water supplied
to the premises during the tenant's occupation if the cost of water
supplied is only partly based on the amount of water supplied to the
premises and the premises are separately metered;
(d) all sewerage disposal charges in respect of separately metered rented
premises imposed during the tenant's occupation of the rented premises
by the holder of a water and sewerage licence issued under Division 1
of Part 2 of the Water Industry Act 1994;
** In short, where the property is separately metered, the tenant is liable for water usage and sewage disposal and the LL is liable for the rates portion of the bill. The bills should be split automatically by the water authority, if they arent simply contact the applicable authority and give them the tenants details and they will starts spliting the bills from now on.
