Can anyone tell me what is my responsibility for utility charges for my intestment property.
I have a water bill which includes charges for Water Usage, Sewerage disposal, service charges, & drainage charges.
What part does the tenant pay and what part do I as the owner pay?
I thought the tenant was responsibe for the whole bill whether it be water, gas, electricity, phone. But someone else tells me I am wrong. Can someone please enlighten me.
Many thanks in anticipation.
JulesJULES1
Email Metenant usually pays for water usage.
Sewerage disposal, service charges, & drainage charges are fixed expenses and are part of rates and property owner pays for that.That’s correct. They pay for their water usage but the sewerage etc is included in the water rates that the owner pays (a tax deduction) if it makes it any easier?
I have paid for the Rates and any other service charges on the Rates Account. But this is a Bill from the Water Authority for usage and it has the extra service charges on it. I thought they were different to what is on the actual annual rates notice.
So from what you are saying I have to pay everything on the annual Rates Bill, and everything on the Water Account (except for any water or sewerage disposal used on this account).
Is that right?
JULES1
Email MeJules depending on which state you are in. It varies accordingly. In Qld YOU the landlord pay for normal water supply. EXCESS WATER is billed to the tenants. Sewerage is paid for by you. Tenants are responsible for Phone Electricity etc. Depends on your lease though. You can opt to pay for Phone and Electricity, but trust me you don’t want to. (And if you do can I rent off you pretty please…)
Stuart Milne
Non-Conforming Specialist
READY Mortgages
http://www.readymortgages.com.au
[email protected]
Mob: 0404 056 055In NSW it is the same. YOU pay for the entire water bill. There is a clause that says, EXCESS useage is paid by the tenant, but hey, what is “excess” useage. Given that the actual water in kilolitres is usually a small proportion, I would just pay the bill, and claim it all in tax return
Electricity – Paid by Tenant
Phone – Paid by Tenant
Council Rates – Paid by YOU.Hi Jules.
Also, keep in mind in Victoria if you do not have individual metering (ie one meter per premise) then you will pay all the water bill.
Not having individual water meters is usually the domain of older properties; but doesn’t have to be.
I have one block of flats where there is only 1 meter for all the tenencies – and I pay all the water bills. (To put individual meters in will cost a bomb, so I take the chearper option and pay all their bills.)[exhappy]
Cheers,Gerry G
Thanks so much for your opinions and clearing up this area for me.
Jules]JULES1
Email MeJules,
again, if you are from SA, the rules are pretty much the same.
At the end of the day, with water agreements, if there is no said agreement on how the water will be paid, the law says the landlord pays for all water usage, and sewerage and other levies etc, but tenants only pay for water exceeding 136kl ( a year i think?)
You can pretty much say whatever you want in the lease, make them pay for it all, but you may have trouble finding a tenant that way, because its pretty standard for tenants not to have to pay for water. Why else would they bother looking after the gardens if it means they pay for the water? Im sure you get it now anyway.[biggrin]
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