advice on new accounts from landlord please..

[friendly_prawn]

.................

[Keys]

Waves to FP.

Brap Brap Brap !

[friendly_prawn]

Waves to FP.

Brap Brap Brap !

lol hows it hanging mate?

I wondered if you would be about.. I was hoping to ask you a question or two if thats ok..

We are renting a property at $400 per week.. Been this way for over a year now..

The landlord just rang today out of the blue and said we need to start paying the water bill/rates on top of the $400 a week rent that we normally pay... He now wants payment for last months water bill which was $75 and for any future water accounts.
Is it a situation where if we are using it so we should be paying it anyway?

Or is this a situation where this is seen as a rent hike and needs x amount of days / weeks to kick in ?

[friendly_prawn]

have you been following he saga of my house sale?

[Keys]

No, not following too much on Trade Me lately. Pity, there is lots of good stuff to do.

Water payments.

Check your tenancy agreement. If it stipulates that you pay for water, then you pay for water (there must be a meter reading). If there is a fixed line charge for water (which you have no control over) you don't pay for that. The user pays system seems to be there for tenants and owners alike.

In Christchurch, we don't have the problem of water rates so, aside from what I've said, I have no first hand knowledge.

[friendly_prawn]

No, not following too much on Trade Me lately. Pity, there is lots of good stuff to do.

Water payments.

Check your tenancy agreement. If it stipulates that you pay for water, then you pay for water (there must be a meter reading). If there is a fixed line charge for water (which you have no control over) you don't pay for that. The user pays system seems to be there for tenants and owners alike.

In Christchurch, we don't have the problem of water rates so, aside from what I've said, I have no first hand knowledge.

I have a copy of the Application forResidential Tenancy form but Im guessing thats different from an actual tenancy agreement form?

Or are they one and the same? I saved everything I was given but I cant find a copy of anything called a Tenancy Agreement Form!


Although I do know it was never part of the deal to pay any water rates.. The original agreement was simply to pay $400 pw..
So what would you tell the Land lord in my situation?

Do I tell him he would need to follow the correct channels if he wishes to introduce another fee?

If so what would be the correct procedure he should follow?

[friendly_prawn]

oh well that was helpful..
The landlord said he is happy to follow procedure to introduce this cost and as much as I dont like bills I do understand where he is coming from. Although Im only human and hate having to pay anybills I can avoid, I also can understand the landlord not being happy paying for the water we use..

It looks like we have come to an amicable agreement..

He has asked if I can find out for him what the procedure is of introducing this cost and let him know how to go about it and he will introduce these costs but done in a legitimate way..
He must trust me lol

So if its at all possible Keys, are you able to supply with that info?
How does my land lord go about legitimately making me pay for the water we use? Or because it wasnt written in to the original agreement is he going to have to rely on our *the tenants* to be kind and work something out for him!

[eri]

it all hinges on the meter

do you have one?

[friendly_prawn]

yep, there was a new one installed out front a few months back..
Thats why the land lord isnt happy.. He has started receiving water accounts!
We have been renting from aprox 18 months now and this was never an issue before due to there being no meter and no water bills.

But with the installation of the water meter and these new charges having come in a few months back, he's not happy having to pay..

[Keys]

You can not be forced to pay. If you are on a FTT you are safe until the end of it. If you are on a periodic, all the LL has to do is to terminate (90 day notice) and issue a new tenancy agreement with the relevant condition in.

Your choice.