Renting and just received a huge water bill

Sgreenwood09

It's one large block split up into lots of flats yes, and we each have our own water metre. Just looked at mine it's reading 2937. Looking at the bill, if we just paid the water recharge amounts it equals £357.25 for the year. With the service charges twice a year at £459.06, that's £918.12 a year split that over 12 months that's £76.51 a month we are paying and that's not even water, with the water we are looking at over £100 each month ! It really baffles me. Especially as this extra service charge cost is not stated anywhere in the tenancy agreement where do we stand with it all ?

Thank you so much everyone with your replies x

jjlandlord

Have you read post #18?

Ms_Chocaholic

Have the bills got your meter reading numbers on, if they haven't and you have a meter, they should have, otherwise you might be paying for another occupier's use (if the management company have got a water bill for the entire building and divided it up by X amount of flats).

Sgreenwood09

So in our tenancy agreement, the on,y section I can find regarding payments and bills, says the following :
" pay for a fair proportion of all charges, based on the length of the tenancy, including water and sewerage charges, rates and assessments ( but of an annual or recurring nature only. If the landlord is held responsible by law for the payment of any of these bills the tenant agrees to refund to the landlord the amount covering the term of this tenancy"

Is this anything ? I can't find anything anywhere else ? X

hcb42

I am metered and we pay £20 a month. If you have an individual meter, then as others say, check the lease but I dont think I would be paying such an excessive bill that wasnt in my name

Sgreenwood09

No, our bills don't have any metre reading on them , which again, I find a it strange.

Thanks guys for your help !

Smi1er

Sgreenwood09 wrote: »

My partner and I began renting a two bedroom flat December 2013.

on the water bills we have half yearly service charge £459.06 that comes out twice a year ( we have not been told what this is) as well as water recharges - these are issued every 4-7 months with each amount varying. Example oct 13-February 14 £56.00 then the next one fen 14- October 14 £207.85.

As others have said, with Flats you get a service charge, this is for upkeep of certain parts, and has nothing to do with you. It looks like each flat has a sub meter, so the management company pay the water bill for the entire building and the proportion it out.


You need to establish what period the £56 charge covers and pay for the part you rented for. You owe the entire £207.85 charge as you occupied the flat for this period.


If the LL says you have to pay the entire service charge then ask them to point out what part of the tenancy agreement covers this.