You could be liable for your tenants water debt from 1st January 2015 unless you act!
From 1st January 2015 there will be an obligation on all landlords with properties in the Welsh Water and Dee Valley Water areas to share certain information about their tenants with their water company. The majority of properties affected are in Wales, but these Water Authority areas also cover parts of Cheshire, Merseyside, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Gloucestershire.
If you fall under the Welsh Water or Dee Valley Water areas, and you do not notify the relevant company of your tenants details you will become jointly-liable for the occupants’ water debt. Please note these obligations DO NOT include the Severn Trent authority areas.
You will be under obligation to notify the relevant company of the,
· full name
· date of birth (if you hold it)
· the date the occupancy began for each of the occupants within the property (as well as obviously the property address).
For existing occupants, you will have to do this by the 21st January 2015 , and for new occupants within 21 days of them moving in or their tenancy or contractual arrangement beginning (whichever is sooner).
We recommend that you do this via the designated Landlordtap (www.landlordtap.com). Once you have registered you will be able to follow the on-screen instructions to enable you to provide the relevant information to the Water Authority. We believe that ‘landlord Tap’ will be live from 22nd December 2014.
For more details please read the full guidance on the here: https://www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/liability-for-water-payments.shtml
For water company boundaries click here:
http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/watercompanies/map/
Policy Team,
Residential Landlords Association
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Member Since August 2014 - Comments: 336
12:38 AM, 13th December 2014, About 11 years ago
My own understanding is that the Landlord IS ALREADY responsible for the water rates if the tenant hasn’t paid them and the LL has failed to inform the Water Authority that the property is now tenanted.
This is covered by Sections 143 and 144 of the Water Industry Act 1991
The subtle change that appears to be happening is simply that the LL must now supply the tenants details, and not simply say that it is tenanted.
This happened to me when a tenant didn’t pay his water bill and Severn Trent issued Court proceedings in my name. Severn Trent had got my details from the property vendor and addressed them to me at the address and my tenant had binned anything from them. My fault for not telling Severn Trent I was no longer responsible, but once I gave them the tenants details they dropped the proceedings against me. Valuable lesson learned!
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1434
3:54 PM, 13th December 2014, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Alan Loughlin” at “12/12/2014 – 17:49“:
From reading the original article, it seems that all we need to do is tell the water company the names of the tenants.
I do that already to ensure that the bill is transferred from my name.
Member Since December 2014 - Comments: 3 - Articles: 1
11:34 AM, 15th December 2014, About 11 years ago
We advise that you inform a tenant that you have passed their details onto the water company/landlord tap.
Member Since December 2014 - Comments: 3 - Articles: 1
11:36 AM, 15th December 2014, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Alan Loughlin” at “12/12/2014 – 17:49“:
Passing on the details described prevents you being liable for a tenants water debt.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 264 - Articles: 1
3:03 PM, 15th December 2014, About 11 years ago
just a point about the comments made about data protection, Am I right in thinking this only applies to data held electronically? if we keep all info in a box file then the act does not apply????????
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1434
5:09 PM, 15th December 2014, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Alan Loughlin” at “15/12/2014 – 15:03“:
You are not correct.
I used to think that, but when I needed to understand DP to set up a business I found that it also covers paper records.
See https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/key-definitions/.
Member Since December 2014 - Comments: 3 - Articles: 1
3:37 PM, 18th December 2014, About 11 years ago
The landlordtap is now open for registration, register the required details now!
Member Since December 2014 - Comments: 4
11:56 AM, 19th December 2014, About 11 years ago
just means the landlord will have to add water to the rent and thus becomes the unpaid collection agent for the large corporation…..genius.