Tenants can only be charged for all water consumption if:

• the property is individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle), and
• the property is water efficient, and
• the tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for water consumption

The property owner must pay all fixed charges, including sewerage charges. The tenant cannot be charged more than the billable amount.

Proving water efficiency

It is a good idea for the property manager/owner to be able to demonstrate the presence of water efficient fittings by having copies of:

• plumbing reports (or compliance certification)
• receipts
• packaging
• warranties or instruction manuals for taps and showerheads

Water efficient property

A property is considered water efficient if certain water fixtures meet these standards:

Only internal cold water taps installed over a hand basin, kitchen sink or laundry trough (including single mixer taps) need to be water efficient. Other taps such as bath tub taps, outside taps for the garden, or taps which supply washing machines or dishwashers do not have to be water efficient to meet the requirement.

Property is not water efficient

If the property is not water efficient, but individually metered and the agreement states the tenant must pay for water, the property manager/owner must pay for a 'reasonable amount' (not defined by the Act) of water consumption and the tenant may be required to pay excess water charges.

Passing bills on to tenants

For general service charges in tenancy agreements, moveable dwellings, and rooming accommodations where tenants/residents pay for utilities or other services, a property manager/owner must provide a tenant/resident with a copy of the document from the relevant service provider that shows the charges. This must be done within 4 weeks of the property manager/owner receiving the document or the tenant/resident does not have to pay.

This requirement applies to individually metered utilities for moveable dwellings including utilities services for rooming accommodations. It does not include service charges or utilities services that are included in the rent.

Paying water bills

A tenant has 1 month to pay for a water bill after they receive it.

A tenant/resident is not required to pay for service charges if a property manager/owner fails to provide a copy of the document from the relevant service provider showing the charges within 4 weeks of receiving it to a tenant/resident. This applies to general tenancy, and rooming accommodation agreements and moveable dwellings.

Partial billing for water

Partial billing refers to a billing for a period that includes only part, not all, of the time covered by the water usage charges document. For example, if a tenancy agreement starts on 1 February, but the water usage charges are specified from 1 January to 31 March, the partial billing period would be from 1 February to 31 March.

A tenant/resident pays for water during a partial billing period if the following conditions are met:

• the premises has its own water meter
• the premises meets water efficiency standards
• a meter reading is recorded in either the entry or exit condition report
• the partial billing period starts when the rental agreement begins
• the amount owed is calculated based on a reasonable estimate of a tenants/resident’s water consumption using the meter reading from the entry or exit report
• the rate used for calculation is the current rate stated in the water consumption charges.

Partial billing for moveable dwelling and rooming accommodation tenancy agreements

The Act does not specifically address partial billing for moveable dwellings and rooming accommodation agreements. However, the RTA strongly encourages property managers/owners to adopt the approach used for general tenancy agreements to prevent potential issues during and at the end of a tenancy.