Landlords

Alleycat

musey wrote:

I'm afraid that is incorrect. I certainly don't pay the water rates on my rental properties they are the responsibility of the tenant the same as any other utility.

Water companies can (and do) disconnect supplies for non-payment of bills. I used to work for the water company in my area in the debt recovery section, part of my role was to oversee disconnections.

Another renter who pays their own water and council tax!

Are there any vulnerable groups such as the elderly/with children that can't have it disconnected or is that heating? I can't remember, but I am sure there is one utility that can't be switched off for non payment if you are in a vulnerable group.

clutton_2

Where a complete house is let on one agreement, in all the areas i have researched, tenants are usually responsibility for ALL the utility bills, including council tax. However, in houses which contain a number of bedsits, then landlords will often pay the Community Charge, and Water rates, but may install coin meters for electricity - but, it is up to the individual landlord as to how to best arrange things. Utility bills are normally the responsibility of "the occupier" - unless a different arrangement has been made, and until the landlord informs the utility of a change of occupancy.

I heard a programme on Radio 4 this week about water, and it sounded as if water was, in gereral, no longer disconnected, but, some Water companies are lobbying to be able to restrict the supply to 5 litres a day !!! for recalcitrant non-payers.

musey

Alleycat wrote:

Another renter who pays their own water and council tax!

Are there any vulnerable groups such as the elderly/with children that can't have it disconnected or is that heating? I can't remember, but I am sure there is one utility that can't be switched off for non payment if you are in a vulnerable group.

There are groups that cannot be disconnected; those with children under 2, the elderly and those with medical issues (that certainly was the case when I worked in that arena)

zar

All the places I've rented aimed at students included water in the rent (and students don't pay council tax anyway), all the places I've rented aimed at non-students haven't included water.

I looked at a house once because it was advertised as £550 a month, then it turned out we'd have to pay an additional £40 a month for emptying the cess pit. :eek: In that situation I think the landlord would have been better to advertise at a rent that included the sewage so it wasn't misleading to start with.

Going off on a complete tangent, I've never worked out why our (unmetered)water bills were half the price when we moved to "dry" East England than when we were in "wet" West Wales. Guess that's the problem of privatised utility where there isn't actually any competition within an area. :rolleyes:

clutton_2

i went onto metering (live alone) and reduced my bills from over £300 pa to about £90pa !!!!

follyfoot

thanks for all the responses. I think i will just ask for rent exclusive of bills. I believe if i rent to DSS they have to pay a certain amount out of their DSS money for water and council tax - i dont think it is paid 100% but it is heavily reduced. they obviously expect to pay gas/elect as and when they use. Unfortunately my flat will probably end up with a gas and elect meter which i have never had to enable them to better manage their finances.

code-a-holic

I apologise for completely going off the subject discussed. But where abouts are you letting out? Just reralised that our 3 bedroomed country cottage with garden is a complete bargain at £420 a month ( we pay all utilities on top). I will never moan about the rent prices again and never move away from the area! lol (Pembrokeshire/west Wales!)

follyfoot

south east london

movieman

I would never let a property to include any utility costs as you never recover the cost in the rent.

Not true: my landlord is making plenty of money off me... but then they don't have a mortgage to pay. I'd guess their costs are probably about 1/4 of what I pay in rent.

Of course in yield terms compared to what they could get by selling their house and putting the money in a deposit account it must be pretty awful. But if I owned their house I don't think I could bring myself to sell it either, it's one of the nicest in the area.

NervousYetFeisty

follyfoot wrote:

thanks for all the responses. I think i will just ask for rent exclusive of bills. I believe if i rent to DSS they have to pay a certain amount out of their DSS money for water and council tax - i dont think it is paid 100% but it is heavily reduced. they obviously expect to pay gas/elect as and when they use. Unfortunately my flat will probably end up with a gas and elect meter which i have never had to enable them to better manage their finances.

When I was on benefits a couple of years ago my council tax was paid, not out of my income support but as a seperate benefit applied for at the same time as housing benefit, from the council.

I never received anything at all towards water rates - I don't think anyone does. Sometimes people have an arrangement for their water rates to be taken from their benefits at source, but this isn't the norm.