The new rules, effective 1st March 2014 include new procedures for the on-charging of water to tenants by Landlords and their Property Managers.

The legislation now states: In the absence of an agreement about water, if the water is separately metered, all rates and charges for water supply will be borne by the tenant. (A positive change – previously if charging for water was not specified, it couldn’t be done for all use and supply charges)

Tenants will only be required to pay water charges if the landlord requests payment within 3 months of the issue of the bill. If the tenant requests a copy of the water bill, the landlord must provide this within 30 days (and at no cost), otherwise the tenant is not obliged to pay for water charges.

It will be essential for all owners to send copies of their SA Water accounts to the Property manager, whether paid by themselves or the Manager, to ensure tenants do pay for their water supply and usage.

All of our team is undergoing extensive training to become familiar with all the new legislative changes. A PDF is available for free download in the Property Investor area of our website.