Water bill

silvercar

Write, so it’s evidenced, that you live in an HMO and don’t have your own water supply. That the landlord pays for the water to the property. Add that you would like a reply in writing and you would like to know how to make a formal complaint.

Kolakuble2021

Thanks silvercar, I have just emailed the water company enclosing the link where they can see for themselves that this property has a hmo licence

if they still argue that I am responsible I will make a formal complaint in writing so I have a paper trail

Kolakuble2021

Hi all,

sorry to bring this post up again but could do with some advice to next stage

the complaint to the water company told me the landlord gave them my details and said I’m responsible and until they hear from the landlord to say otherwise I’m responsible 

the CA after reading my tenancy said I’m not responsible, put me in touch with a solicitor for 20 mins but didn’t forward my tenancy to the solicitor, but after me telling the solicitor that there is a communal boiler, one stop !!!!!!, a communal washing machine and the water pipes feed from room to room (so if another tenant has there water on it affects my flow) said it sounds communal and I shouldn’t be paying.

I telephoned the landlord just over 2 weeks ago, told him solicitor said due to there being a communal boiler and communal washing machine I shouldn’t have the bill in my name, he agreed and said to send him a copy of the bill and he would rectify, I asked him to be copied into the email he said he would, no email received so after a week I telephoned the landlord again and said he will chase admin and get it done, still nothing

so CA wrote me a letter to email him saying how it distressing me and that i will make a formal complaint if my name is not removed

even to date only my name is on the bill the other tenants either are not receiving a bill or it’s still in landlords name

this is where it gets worrying, CA said that as I have an AST he can give me a section 21 without needing an explanation, I hate it here with the junkies anyway, but worried I wouldnt get help to find other accommodation, due to my mh I wouldn’t even know how to look for another property

so was wondering if I could get the council round to see who should be paying the bill, would they do this ? and what department would it be housing enforcement?

Thanks

Kolakuble2021

Hi everyone. Sorry to bring this post up again 

on the 24/12/2024 I received a call from lsc debt collectors regarding this bill, I told them I wasn’t paying it as I am not eligible, finally he said he would close the account and return the debt to Thames water

following the phone call I wrote another complaint email to tw who today finally admitted as I live in a licenced hmo I’m not responsible and they have now removed my details from their system 

due to the ongoing harassment, and 2 bad credit reports on my credit file, can I claim compensation or at least get the bad credit reports removed ?

Thanks

QrizB

I'm late to this thread but have you complained about all this to whichever agency placed you in this HMO in the first place?

Kolakuble2021

Hi QrizB it was the council that placed me here and I was told that if I didn’t take it I would make myself homeless and the council have no further authority to help me 

QrizB

Kolakuble2021 said:

Hi QrizB it was the council that placed me here and I was told that if I didn’t take it I would make myself homeless and the council have no further authority to help me 

If you think the landlord is victimising you, or exploiting you, you should still tell them. They might have some influence over the landlord.

If you think this is just an error by your landlord, it's less likely that the council will be able to help.

@Brie do you think that the OP might get more help on the Housing or Benefits forum, rather than the sleepy backwater of Water? This is a landlord problem as much as it is a water company one?