Landlords not liable for tenants’ water bills
What an utter fuckup. Business as usual for Irish Water:
However the spokeswoman said application packs for rented dwellings would be addressed to the landlord, at the landlord’s residence, and it would be the landlord’s responsibility to ensure the tenant received the application pack. Bills are to be issued quarterly, but as Irish Water will have the tenant’s PPS number, the utility firm will be able to pursue the tenant for any arrears and even apply any arrears to new accounts, when the tenant moves to a new address. Last week landlords had expressed concern over potential arrears, the liability for them and the possibility of being used as collection agents by Irish Water.
Irish Water responds to landlords’ questions
ugh, what a mess….
* Every rental unit in the State is to get a pack addressed personally to the occupant. If Irish Water does not have details of a tenant, the pack will be addressed to ‘The Occupier’ * Packs will only be issued to individual rental properties in so far as Irish Water is aware of them * Landlords can contact Irish Water to advise they have let a property * Application Packs are issued relative to the information on the Irish Water mailing list. If this is incorrect or out of date, landlords can contact Irish Water to have the information adjusted *Irish Water will contact known landlords after the initial customer application campaign, to advise of properties for which no application has been received * Irish Water said that when a household is occupied the tenant is liable and when vacant the owner is liable. Both should advise Irish Water of change of status to the property – the tenant to cease liability, the landlord to take it up. Either party may take a reading and provide it to Irish Water, alternatively Irish Water will bill on average consumption, based on the date of change.
(tags: irish-water water ireland liability bills landlords tenancy rental)