Tenancy Tip Thursday - Who pays water?

VIC: $149.85 per quarter... $50 a month. Is this normal?

 

So, I need some help with interpreting my (QLD) Urban Utilities water bill - trying to work out how much the tenants pay, and how much I cover the cost of.

The rental agreement says "the Tenant is required to pay the Water Consumption Charges for the property if….. (heap of conditions, all met…). So, looking at this water bill below, does the tenant pay for both the State Bulk Water Charge $194.55 and the Water Usage Charges - Tier 1 Consumption $68.11(Total = $262.66)? Then, I pay the Water Access Charge $78.42 and the Sewerage Access Charge $149.28 (Total = $227.70)?

Given that my tenants are now months behind on reimbursing me for my water bills, and I can't get from the my property manager how much they still have left to pay, I really need to know how to interpret these bills (so I can work out how much they still owe me).

 

Thanks @wylie - I feel much better knowing that I'm on the right track.

You should see the bill that they've just acquired - it's even bigger again. According to the lease, there are only 4 people living there, but I'm thinking that's a bit of a furfy.

And the bill above was paid by me back in January (as I bought the place in late 2015, and there was a stuff up by Urban Utilities, and the bill was sent to the previous owner). The tenants still have about $100 to pay off this bill, plus the whole of the second bill, and I'm just about to send them their third one. Effectively, they hadn't paid a cent for water since July 2015.

 

High bills are a good opportunity to see if,
- more people than authorised are living in the property
- there's a leak somewhere that should be attended to
- they're growing something they shouldn't

 

D

Does this include sewerage @D.T. ?

 

Proving water efficiency is an interesting one. Technically, a "water compliance certificate" isn't required as it can be proven by the provision of receipts and/or technical specifications which an investor would more than likely have on a new build. Obviously the easiest way to prove compliance is a quick visit from a plumber as suggested which is the method we always recommend.

I have been interested to note that almost all new builds now employ individual water meters for apartments which is a pleasing trend!

 

No, laid out as separate lines on the bill:
1. Sewerage 88.95 a quarter
2. Supply 71.60 a quarter
3. Usage variable say 200 a quarter

Default lease doc since 2014 has specified tenants pay items 2 and 3 and owners pay sewerage. Not the only possible combination though.

 

I'm going to look at a property this week which has a house + bungalow. Both are tenanted. I have to find out in more detail when I inspect it with the agent.
Property is in Moreland council Vic.
I am wondering what it means if both the house and bungalow don't have individual gas/elec/water meters- what happens there usually?

 

If there's no separate meter you will be responsible for the full cost @Otie

 

Oh no I don't like the sound of that!!

 

You can usually get them changed, but it takes a lot of time and $$ as I understand. Unfortunately laws in Vic mean you cannot charge anything for the services.

 

Another Qld condition is that tenant payment for water must be specified in the lease.
Marg

 

The whole thing with water bills - splitting supply charge and usage (or land lord copping the full amount) is a bit funny - imagine the same thing with power bills/gas bills/internet bills! It's ridiculous! It should all be in the tenants name.

 

Absolutely, also dual flush toilets.
We recommend owners to obtain water efficiency certificate from a plumber...this translates to undertaking what is required to achieve water efficiency

 

Anyone thinking about not wanting to fork out for the plumber's fee to attend to do the water efficient certificate should remember how warm and humid it is in QLD. Ponder how many showers a QLD'er might take per day due to the climate and it's a no brainer. Get it done, it's essential.

 

Great tips there @D.T.

I was actually wondering why when moving interstate from SA to Victoria and vice versa I never paid water in Victoria but I move to SA and it depends on the landlord.. I'm unfortunate and have to pay both usage and supply where I rent now.

 

Wouldn't really call it unfortunate, that's the default position here since 2014.

Been campaigning to SA Water to make us more like Victoria though - tenant and owner get separate bills there which would fix so many problems.

 

I would love for QLD to operate the same way as Vic, too. I have no idea how much water my Vic tenants use, and their bills (and chasing any non- or late payments is the job of the local water provider).

My QLD tenants are a whole other story - the property manager is still trying to get them caught up on their water bill payments - I'm out of pocket over $500, and still only getting them drip-feeding me payments of $10-$20 per fortnight to reimburse me (they've only just finished paying off their bill from Dec 2015). I hate it.

Their consumption = they should pay it (from the outset) - not have me pay it for them, and then they get around to reimbursing me when they feel like it.

 

Want to revive this thread. Am of the same view as KayTea on this re water usage by tenants in Vic and Qld. Two states with totally different methods of managing water usage. In Vic, no problem with water usage by tenants, water authority operates on an efficient and fair basis. In Qld, it is a totally backward system. I have had endless problems with PMs trying to extract money from tenants for water usage (yes, it is in the lease agreement that tenants pay for water usage) - a frustrating process. Like, KayTea, "I hate it".

A huge problem I have had is that previous tenants moved out, PM now in receivership (!!!), no reading of water meter when previous tenants moved out, outstanding claims from bills I paid, bond appeared to have been released by former PM, new PM said no forwarding address for previous tenants from former PM, new PM said no leverage over previous tenants to pursue water usage, and so the problems go on ...

My questions are: What rights have I got against the previous tenants, and the former PM? Which authority in Qld should I report both the previous tenants and the former PM? Can I put in a claim with the receiver of the former PM? I have been very patient but tolerance can only last for so long.