Utility companies and legal services – debt paid?

Your post is slightly confusing, if recovery fees have been added to the Utility Debt then have you paid off the total debt?

When the Property became empty you should have put Utilities in your name with your correspondence address so you wouldn’t miss any bills.

Try contacting the supplier to see if they will waive the collection fees.

Your post begs the question as to why bills were not picked up sooner. If the house was being refurbed, presumably there were contractors coming and going.

If you’re the person liable for the bills then it’s your obligation to tell the utility providers; they will always send bills to an alternative address.

It sounds like you made payment of the charges after the company had added the legal fees, so there’s a fair chane you are still liable for them.

Why didn’t you immediately contact the utility companies when the tenant left to open an interim account for yourself, at which point you give them your contact details? That is what is required and if you didnt, then you risk them taking recovery action against you.

If you haven’t provided the correct contact details to the utilities and that causes you to miss payments then you are liable for Third Party fees regardless if you have subsequently play the outstanding amount to the utilities.

Always provide utilities with latest info on meter readings and the date previous tenants left anything used after that date is your responsibility.

Reply to the comment left by David Smith at 06/11/2023 – 17:52I have a situation where the utility company sent bills to the rental property even though they admit to having my contact details. The utility company didn’t actually tell a porkey, but they did ‘knowingly fail’ to reveal that they had my billing address on file to the Ombudsman. So, understandably the Ombudsman ruled, “I see no problem with bills being sent to the rental property, as no alternative address was provided”. And who’s side is the Ombudsman on I wonder.

Reply to the comment left by Michael Booth at 07/11/2023 – 08:21That’s fine, but also remember you are under no obligation to disclose the current tenants, or previous tenants names to utility companies. Let the utility companies do their own tracing and in time it may encourage them to pay landlords for their time in carrying out administration on behalf of the utility providers; especially those landlord who include gas and electricity in the rent who, for no remuneration at all, collect payments from tenants on behalf of utility companies and underwrite any debts if tenants fail to pay their rent.

Reply to the comment left by david…. (not Goliath) at 09/11/2023 – 11:47
We always notify the utility companies of new tenants as we need to bring the landlords’ accounts to a close. It’s no great imposition and makes sure they know who’s responsible.

As for landlords who include utility bills, why would they do that unless it’s a HMO, in which case the profit model is different than for a regular letting?

Reply to the comment left by Graham Bowcock at 09/11/2023 – 12:41
That’s fine Graham, each to their own. For my part, to encourage utility providers to create a more equal landlord-friendly balanced system, I would just say, “I am no longer responsible for the account from [date]. The reading on that [date] was [xxxxxx]. I will leave you (the utility company) to make contact with any new customers who use your reply.

Reply to the comment left by Graham Bowcock at 09/11/2023 – 12:41
Graham, I always contact the utility companies, only problem is hanging on the phone for ages. EON-next seem to be the worst. Also had issues trying to close a previous tenants account due to ‘data protection’