Did you know that the unpaid water bills adds an extra £21 per year to everyone else’s bill and that 80% of water and sewerage debt is due from residential tenants?
Thats all those tenants disappearing at the end of their tenancy leaving unpaid water bills.
To attempt to resolve the problem that water authorities have set up a website for landlords to use to record details of tenants responsible for water charges.
Welsh landlords are required by law to use this website, in England it is voluntary.
However it is a very good idea – if all landlords did this it would reduce the water bills paid by the rest of us. Just make sure that you notify your tenants that you are doing this (your tenancy agreement is the best place to do this).
So if you are a landlord and your tenants pay the water charges – notify the authorities here
I’ve been using this website since it came into action as I routinely notify all utilities companies and council tax departments of any tenancy changes in any case. As this is a new system, the first time I contact them about any tenancy change is generally at the end of an existing tenancy at which point I add the relevant property to their system and give the outgoing tenant’s details, but if you can believe it, there is no option to give the outgoing tenant’s meter reading!! I’ve still got to contact UU direct to give the reading which is quite frustrating. I’m hopeful that this won’t be the case going forward though. :(
Doesn’t this creates data protection issues?
All landlords should have a clause in their tenancy agreement stating that they reserve the right to provide tenants details to utilities. It might be a good idea to add that you will be submitting their details to the Landlord Taip website.
However, if the tenant filed a complaint with the ICO it would not be treated in the same way, for example as if the landlord had posted to facebook the tenant’s details saying he is a bad tenant and had not paid rent. The .Landlord Tap website is arguably providing details to someone authorised to receive it.