water leak

korky69

hi
my friend had his water payments increased by a decent amount last month following a reading,the bill was doubled i think.
his water company came out to check for a leak and just been told ok on their side so any leak must be on his side.
he can't see/hear any leak either.

who is responsible for the extra charges if a leak is found,
the tenant or landlord?

matelodave

It's the person who pays the bill - the water company don't really care who owns the place it's whoever is on the account that's responsible to pay for it or to arrange to get it sorted out.
However if a leak is found, reported and repaired then some water companies will make an estimate of what you've lost and credit you with it - leave it and they won't and could possibly fine you.

Regarding the repair of the leak then that's probably down to the landlord although sometimes the water co will do a single repair for free as well.

You (or your mate) should get on and investigate it as soon as possible otherwise there are fines if you don't get it sorted out.

You can do some checks before you call in the heavies. Make sure none of the toilet cisterns are leaking either into the bowl or through the overflow, likewise any tanks in the loft. Check for dripping taps.

If they look ok then read the meter (including the red digits) and leave it for a couple of hours without using any taps, flushing any toilets or using the dishwasher or washing machine. If the meter is rotating even very slowly or the reading has increased then you've got a leak somewhere.

To check whether it's inside or out side you'll have to turn off the internal stop valve and check the meter again. If it's still rotating or the reading increases then you've probably got an external leak between the meter and the stop valve. If the meter stops then the problem is somewhere in the house

Cardew

Re the above, most companies will carry out a 'one-off goodwill' repair of a leak between the meter and the property - assuming the meter is not in the property.


Whilst the water company will deal only with the person paying the bill, responsibility for the repair of a leak is down to the landlord.