Renting - Electric and dealing with Bill debt from last tennent

froggy_girl128

I thought this would be a common problem but can't find anything about it.

I want to set up a DD for the electric in a house that I have just started renting but have found an unpaid bill of £200 from before I moved in. How do I go about sorting this out? I'm told the last tenants were polish and have moved back to Poland.

Thanks

PasturesNew

Did you not just phone in the meter readings on your first day there?

That's all you need to do. Last people's bill isn't your problem

theartfullodger

Any bills (elect, gas, council tax, rent, anything...) that the last tenants incurred are their problem & for them to pay. whatever else, don't be tempted to try & sort out "their" bill problems.. that's for the utility company etc to sort...

The only circumstances in which they become an issue is if (as indicated above) no meter readings were taken at hand-over (usually done by Landlord/Agent/Tenant - all three if possible) and if there is a long history of bills not being paid in which case the meter may have been changed to pre-paid.

Ensure you've written (as well as 'phoned) the utility companies with relevant dates and readings for you (before your tenancy is not your concern) and you should be OK.

Cheers!

Lodger