Power sharing

Our Experts Answer:

A tenant is only responsible for paying for outgoings such as power and water that they use themselves. When there are multiple dwellings on a property, or individual room agreements within a house, the bill for the outgoings needs to be in the name of the landlord.

If the landlord does not include the power and water costs in the rent, and wants to recover them from the tenants, then there needs to be separate meters installed so that you are only paying what you have used. These are also known as ‘check meters’. You should ask your landlord to install the check meter (at their cost).

The landlord cannot just divide the bill up between the number of tenancies in place, or by the number of people living at the premises, unless the Tenancy Tribunal permits the arrangement.

Where a tenant has been paying costs such as power or water where it cannot be proved exactly how much they have used, they may be able to request that the amount paid or a portion of it be refunded by making an application to the Tenancy Tribunal.

For further information regarding landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, you can visit our website at www.tenancy.govt.nz.