Just a reminder - Passing Water Bills on to Tenants
Where a tenant is responsible for paying water consumption charges, they must be given a copy of the water bill within 4 weeks of the property manager or owner receiving it from the water service provider. Once the bill has been provided, the tenant has 4 weeks to pay it.
If the property manager or owner does not provide the water bill within this 4-week period, the tenant is not required to pay the water consumption charges.
Water Sub-Metering
Many multi-residential properties, such as apartment complexes, use water sub-meters to measure the water consumption of individual residences.
The process for recovering water charges depends on who reads the sub-meter:
- Sub-meter read by the water service provider: Water consumption charges can be passed on to the tenant in the usual manner, with the bill provided within 4 weeks of the owner or property manager receiving it.
- Sub-meter read by the property manager or owner: The property manager or owner must read the sub-meter and provide the tenant with the water consumption charges within 4 weeks of receiving the original water bill from the service provider.
It is the responsibility of the property manager or owner to ensure sub-meters are read and the charges are passed on within the required timeframe. If they fail to do so, the tenant is not required to pay those water consumption charges.
