Water rates, who pays for what?

Our Experts Answer:

You may be responsible for paying water charges for your rented property, but only if all three of the following conditions are met:

• The property has a separate water meter; and

• The tenancy agreement that you signed at the beginning of the tenancy states that you as tenants are responsible for paying for any metered water provided to the property; and

• The water supplier charges for water supplied to the property on the basis of metered usage.

If any or all of the above conditions do not apply to your situation, you will not be responsible for paying for water charges to the property. For more information I suggest you visit www.dbh.govt.nz where there is fact sheet on water charges.