Am I liable for my ex-tenant's electricity bill?

Normally the answer is no, however due to my tenant doing a dodgy, I'm left with a bill addressed to "The Occupier" for the time period where the tenant was still occupying the premises.

The agent has tried to get in touch with the tenant without success. He recommends that I discard the bill.

The electricity retailer said that the responsibility falls on me as the property owner to pay the bill.

Where do I stand?

 

Yes, I think there is legilsation which means you maybe liable.

Give the electricity company a call.

Actually, you may only be liable if you were the occupier while it was connected in the tenant's name.

 

How can you be liable for a bill that is not in your name? You haven't requested the service, the tenant would have paid a bond to get the connection. IMHO not your problem.

(But @Terry_w knows better).

 

These ones.
I don't remember ever getting a bill addressed to "The Occupier".
If I did I would probably ignore it.

 

For the billing period, we can prove that the tenant was the occupier. However the electricity was not connected in anyone's name.

I just found the tenant's new details on their removalist invoice (which I requested as I decided to cover their moving fees.) I think that plus the last statement from the agent (stating their vacating date) should be enough to get the electricity company to chase the tenant?

 

If you paid the tenants moving expenses I suspect you wanted them out quickly and they complied - I would pay and be thankful they did without any more problems.

 

I wanted them out quickly, but they took the full 3 months (periodic lease) to move out. I already paid their removalist fees and they still caused me problems.

I do not want to pay their electricity bill unless I am legally required to.

 

I recently received a gas bill for my ppor. The problem is I don't have a gas account. There is a meter for gas which was installed during the time the previous owner was there. It has been 7 years. I don't use gas as I have no gas apppliances.

The bill is addressed to 'the occupier'.

I rang the gas company and explained the situation. They told me thrown it in the bin and they'd make a note of it so i don't get any in the future. Case closed.

 

Were you the occupier during the billing period?

 

Yes...I only just got the bill now for the last quarter. I've been there for 7 years.

 

I have been through this a few times,just get a bigger bin a throw the letters in the bin,.

 

We tell them - not our bills, disconnect it already, tenant has moved out. New tenant may choose different provider.

 

On the bright side the tenant could have left the partner at the property @datto . Imagine the bills then:

 

I also thought this before forwarding the removalist invoice to the electricity company, so instead I forwarded it to my property manager who will take care of it for me.

I will let the electricity company know that I will pay for the vacant period and that period only.

Moreover, the electricity at the IP is now under a new account under my own name until the new owners move in, so this other company's threats to "cut off the electricity supply" (which already happened once) are moot

 

If they disconnect isn't there a fee to reconnect?

 

In SA right now, they always disconnect between tenants anyway. It's a pain in the bum because we used to just transfer over to new tenant. Not any more.

 

That's a bit suckworthy.
I used to know someone who would just keep paying the previous persons bills when they came, no need to change it over.

 

Ooooh.... my misses at the time wouldn't have been too happy.

I could just hear her now "Heck, Datto. You're not suppose to pay the tenants' utility bills. You weren't sleeping with them!" lol.