Watercare Should Accept Both Landlords And Tenants As Customers: An Open Letter To Amanda Snow

Amanda

I am contacting you regarding your story on Tenant’s water bills.

Your analysis is correct, in that the Landlord is currently responsible for the fixed portion of the Watercare charges and the tenant is responsible for the variable portion.

This division of liability has been fully covered in the Landlording education programs run by Property Investor Associations, and all competent Landlords and Property Managers should be aware of where their responsibilities lie.

However, in our opinion, the major cause of the confusion is caused by Watercare’s practice of sending the entire water account to the Landlord because they will not accept any residential tenant as a customer.

Watercare should send out two invoices, one to the Landlord for the fixed costs and one to the tenant for the variable charges. This would negate the confusion.

Our Association would be quite willing to work with the various Tenant groups in order to reform the current situation.

I would like to discuss this issue with you, and expand on the points made above. This may well give you material for a further article on this subject.

Peter Lewis
Board Member

Auckland Property Investors Association

09 360 2376