Water rates who is liable

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Sign up for RTA news. For a tenancy agreement prior to 1 July that has not been renewed, extended, or assigned, any agreement in regards to council rates continues to apply, including if the tenant is liable for payment. Generally, landlords pay the water rates and the tenants pay for their consumption of these services. The prescribed tenancy agreement requires you to indicate whether the electricity, gas and water services to the rental property are separately metered. It is important to include these calculations as the tenant is not obliged to pay a utility bill unless there is written agreement about how the bill will be calculated.

If the tenant receives their electricity bill from you, i. You would need to pay the supply cost yourself. The Economic Regulation Authority ERA produce consumer guides to help you to understand more about electricity , gas and water services.

The ERA also provide information on bill concessions and assistance. We strongly recommend you get a special meter reading from the Water Corporation at the start and end of a tenancy and record this in Part C of the prescribed tenancy agreement or property condition report. This will reduce the likelihood of disputes over water costs, which are a common area of concern for tenants. Since all water consumed is chargeable to your tenant, you may want to share the costs of the water bill to encourage the tenant to water lawns and gardens.

The prescribed tenancy agreement lets you identify what percentage of the water consumption costs the tenant is required to pay.