Admin charge for septic tank emptying

renter2021

Hi. We’ve just been informed that the landlord is taking over organising the emptying of the shared septic tank. This will then have a 10% admin charge billed to us. This doesn’t seem reasonable? I’m happy to pay the cost of emptying. They are also insisting on yearly emptying but from what I’ve read this is new regulations and normal for most tenants?

doodling

Hi,

There are two issues here.  The first is whether the landlord is entitled to change the tenancy so that you are no longer responsible for managing the sceptic tank.  I think that such a change would need to be agreed rather than being something that is imposed, particularly if there are extra costs for you.  One option would be for you to insist on the continuation of the tenancy as it is with you retaining responsibility for the tank.

The second issue is that I think this would be a fee due under the tenancy and thus covered by recent legislation.  I think the relevant passages in the guidance for landlords that covers this are these:

Q. Are there other payments that a tenant can be required to make?

Yes, tenants are responsible for bills if these are not included within their rent. Payments for utilities, broadband, TV, phone and council tax are all excluded from the ban. However, landlords must not over-charge tenants where they pay utilities separate from the rent

and

Q. What can I charge tenants for water?

Similar provisions exist for the resale of water. Landlords are prohibited from overcharging tenants for the resale of water under the Maximum Resale Price provisions set out in the Water Resale Order 2006. The Maximum Resale Price ensures that landlords who resell water or sewerage services must charge no more to tenants than the amount they are charged by the water company.

Landlords are also allowed to charge a reasonable administration fee. The administration charge is set to cover administration costs and the maintenance of meters. Generally, landlords can recover around £5 each year in administration for a property without a meter and £10 for a property with a meter

I think that means that the landlord can charge a reasonable fee.  The government thinks a reasonable fee for going to the property to read a meter is £10 so I leave you to judge what they would believe to be reasonable for picking up the phone and calling someone to empty the sceptic tank and possibly being there when it is emptied.