Water usage "one off" $80 rebate - tenant gets lucky, landlord doesn't...

[skippyz]

First water usage bill to be charged I didn't use?

As your tenants have vacated, and owe you money - do nothing. Just pay the access charges etc this time - and then charge the new tenants the water usage portion of the next bill.

Apart from the fact that I received this rebate like many here - I was paying all water bills as my IP in Brisbane hasn't been water efficiency certified yet.

But if I was a tenant paying a water usage bill and a first water bill charged based on the usage of 'previous tenants' amount, I would argue the owner saying that I didn't use water during that period (I was not even living in this rental property).....
Don't you get this kind of claim from tenants?

Also don't tenants get away from the last portion of water usage bill after they move out?

 

[wylie]

You read the meter at the start and end of a tenancy and calculate it manually. Tenant only pays for what they use , not previous tenant's usage.

 

[BMan]

i only got a $45 rebate :O

 

[mattysavager]

Don't you get this kind of claim from tenants?

As Wylie said, we read the meters when the tenant moves in, and then we basically use the water bills as a reminder to do the billing periodically. Also, we charge the tenant their actual usage (so according to actual reads), but we take our amounts from the water bill (so that we are charging at current pricing).

If the water billing period is wholly within the tenant's lease, then that makes life easier.

It's annoying that QLD urban utilities bills so far behind, but it's easy to work around when you know what you're doing.

Also, you should start charging tenants if you are able to. It'll pay for itself pretty quickly.

Matt

 

[melliemellie]

I came across this report this morning which outlines everything that is wrong with water charging legislation in Queensland. I agree with absolutely everything in the article - the current legislation needs to be amended & sooner rather than later.

http://www.qcoss.org.au/sites/default/files/Tenant Water charging October 2012.pdf