Water/Renting Issue with Rental Agency

Lmadao0 on 24/07/2017 - 09:53

Hopefully someone can provide some advice here, I am unsure if there is any solution apart from just paying the bill in full.

Background is a friend and I started renting a "unit" (large house that has been split into two halves and each one rented separately) a bit over 6 months ago. There is only one water meter so bills are split between the two units, although when we moved in the other unit was vacant.

Our initial water usage bill was approx $50 (3 month period), paid entirely by us as other unit was vacant. Tenants moved into the other unit after this first period and our new water usage bill is approx $130 AFTER splitting (which means actual water usage cost increased from $50 to ~$260 since the tenants moved in next door assuming rental agency is actually splitting it 50/50). Although the additional $80 we would be paying is not really that much money I don't really think its fair for us to be paying for the other tenants' water usage when they use such a considerable amount more than us. They have a washing machine (my friend and I both wash clothes elsewhere) and also blast shit with the hose fairly often (no idea what they are doing out there).

Is there anything I can do about this? The rental agency is not particularly helpful at all and is slow to reply to any emails. They previously did not believe me that there was only one water meter and I had to take a photo to show them.

Sidenote: I/we would be open to moving out of here earlier if we could get out of the 1 year lease somehow.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Skramit on 24/07/2017 - 09:59
    +4

    Pro tip: Emails suck. Emails are easy to ignore.

    Get on the phone and speak to a human at the rental agency. You are far more likely to get a better outcome.

    Do the dwellings have the same address or separate addresses? Is it a strata title?

    I'd personally be requesting a second meter be installed.

    • madao0 on 24/07/2017 - 10:10

      The last few times I've tried calling the person in charge of this property has either been "unavailable" or "busy and will get back to us" a.k.a she just emails a few days later anyway. The slow response is not really an problem for this particular issue as I will just not pay the water bill until its sorted out and its nice to have a record of what they said via email anyway.

      They are Unit 1/2 of the same address. I don't think it is a strata title (same owner for both units and both managed by same rental agency).

      Second meter sounds like a good idea thanks, I'll look into that (but would also like to resolve this particular bill if possible).

      • Skramit on 24/07/2017 - 10:20
        +1

        Persist.

        Ask for your property managers mobile number. Call them directly.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 24/07/2017 - 10:53
        +1

        Having separate meter will not get you better but even worst, as the sewage and water service charge is per meter, which mean the owner or you(if you insist to get it install) will have to pay the service charge of around $180 on top of any usage charge, the reason why the owner did not put in separate meter in the first place because of this.

        If your contract set 50/50 then you would have no say unless you try to break this lease and sign up another up which the owner had to agree on.

        Try to talk to your neighbor to conserve more water to help the bill.

  • bobbified on 24/07/2017 - 10:11
    +1

    What does your lease agreement say?

    According to this *https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/11964/Charging_for_water_bulletin.pdf*

    No separate water meter
    If there are multiple properties on a meter, a term must be included in the written lease agreement explaining how water charges will be shared.
    A percentage of the water usage based on the number of properties and number of tenants may be a reasonable way to share the charges.

    Who's name is the water bill in? If it's in the owner's name, I'd hold off on paying it until an agreement is made.

    I guess you could try make and agreement with the agent and write something like: This is the proposed agreement and if no response is received within the next xx days, then the proposal is assumed to be acceptable/ed.

    It won't hold well legally, but it might prompt a response.

    • madao0 on 24/07/2017 - 10:21

      Unfortunately lease agreement is 50/50 split between units, I probably should have thought of this possibility before signing.

      It's not an SA Water water bill, the bill is from the rental agency.

      • Skramit on 24/07/2017 - 10:27

        Then you're up shit creek.

        How many occupants in the other unit? Are they running a watering system or something in the yard?

        • madao0 on 24/07/2017 - 10:36

          Yeah sounds like it, no paddle for me.

          They seem to run the washing machine every 2-3 days which I expect is the main thing using up water. Friend said they also use the hose to wash things (??) out the front regularly but I have no idea what they would be doing with that, I'm not home during the day to notice.

          Thank you for your help anyway.

        • Skramit on 24/07/2017 - 10:47
          +1

          @madao0:

          If all else fails might be worth having a polite chat to the neighbours about their water use. Don;t mention washing machine (as thats not unreasonable) but useless shit like hosing down the driveway, explain why its affecting you monetarily - I.E. you are paying for them to water the driveway leaves. Perhaps they will cease… not all neighbours are pricks. They might just be unaware it's costing you.

      • bobbified on 24/07/2017 - 10:29

        Unfortunately lease agreement is 50/50 split between units.

        If it's already in your agreement, then it's going to be a little hard to get it changed. The agent would have no interest in re-negotiating.

        Whenever there's a split like this, there's always going to be some that will benefit from such an arrangement and some that don't.

        It works in the same way as some big blocks of apartments where there's one meter and the charge is split evenly across all the apartments. Some apartments will use more and some will use less. There's just less "spikes" in the amounts when there's lots of parties to split it.

        In your case, there's just two properties so there'll be spikes and, if it's not you using the water, then it must be them!

        It's not an SA Water water bill, the bill is from the rental agency.

        Landlords should attach a copy of the bill to the tenant’s invoice for water use and supply. The tenant does not have to pay for water charges if:
        * the landlord does not ask for payment within 3 months of the bill’s issue.
        * the tenant asks for a copy of the account and the landlord does not provide it within 30 days.
        (https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting/ren…)

        • madao0 on 24/07/2017 - 10:38

          Thank you for your help, I will ask for a copy of the actual water bill.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/07/2017 - 10:31

    As you said the agreement 50/50. Hopefully for you they move out soon and someone moves in that doesn't like to shower and then they will be paying some of your share.

  • JimmyF on 24/07/2017 - 10:35
    +1

    our new water usage bill is approx $130 AFTER splitting

    Make sure its just the USAGE you're paying. ie have you seen the bill?

    There will be a water usage section and a sewage usage section. You pay the USAGE on both of these.

    All park charges, service fees, etc are paid by the owner.

    • madao0 on 24/07/2017 - 10:39
      +1

      Thanks, I will ask for a copy of the actual water bill.

  • John Kimble on 24/07/2017 - 10:40

    blast shit with the hose fairly often

    I love blasting faeces with water, it's so much fun. Try it one day.

  • John Kimble on 24/07/2017 - 11:02
    -3

    They have a washing machine (my friend and I both wash clothes elsewhere)

    Where do you wash your clothes? Your parent's place? Are you paying them for the electricity and water usage?

    • madao0 on 24/07/2017 - 11:11
      +7

      Why does that matter?

      If you really want to know, I wash them at your mum's house and pay her with sexual favours

      • John Kimble on 24/07/2017 - 11:16
        -2

        Haha. Very original! You da man!

      • bobbified on 24/07/2017 - 12:05
        +6

        whoa! doesn't get more blunt than that! hahaha

        • John Kimble on 24/07/2017 - 12:13
          -1

          I know! And he is the one giving my mum sexual favours in return for washing clothes… Surely he is getting the short end of the stick (excuse the pun), so I don't know why he would reveal that???

        • bobbified on 24/07/2017 - 12:22

          @John Kimble: .

          I'm trying my best to hold back my comments on this one! hahaha

        • John Kimble on 24/07/2017 - 12:32
          -1

          @bobbified: Why hold back? We are well past that it seems…

        • bobbified on 24/07/2017 - 12:37
          +2

          @John Kimble:

          he is getting the short end of the stick (excuse the pun), so I don't know why he would reveal that???

          Maybe he knows your mum better than you do - inside and out!

          It's been a while since I've got involved in mum jokes.. but there! I said it! hahaha

        • John Kimble on 24/07/2017 - 12:39

          @bobbified: Absolutely fine by me! (exclamation mark times infinity).

        • airzone on 24/07/2017 - 13:41

          @John Kimble:

          Surely he she is getting the short end of the stick

          FTFY

      • eneloop on 24/07/2017 - 20:33

        This made me laugh

  • alxr0101 on 25/07/2017 - 07:33
    +1

    if in NSW (check other states) they cannot bill you at all, if no separate meter.

    They should also provide extract or full copy of the water bill from the utility and only charge for actual usage.

    Otherwise I would do as follows, in writing!

    1. document usage BEFORE other unit was occupied.
    2. set out typical water usage is lower due factors you identified (eg. family vs xx, washing machine vs… etc)
    3. propose the monthly/quarterly water estimate based on above.
    4. give 10 days for reply before actioning via Tribunal.
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