Can I Charge Water Usage to Tenants?

Landlords are only able to pass on the full water consumption costs to tenants if:

• the rental premises are individually metered (or water is delivered by vehicle), and
• the rental premises are water efficient, with full plumbers report and
• the tenancy agreement states the tenant must pay for all water consumption.

Otherwise tenants can only be charged for excess water (2nd tier consumption on your Toowoomba Regional Council rates notice – which is over 100KL per property for 6 months).

It is important to remember that the access charge (currently $295) is an owners cost regardless of whether the property is water compliant or not.

It is also legislation that an owner must pay the water invoice in full, then forward the “Water Advice” page to our office. We will then invoice the tenants if applicable, giving them 30 days to pay the account.

Please remember to pass on the water accounts quickly – RTA advises that only the most recent water rates accounts may be payable by tenants. We can not back date old rates notice not passed onto the tenants within a “reasonable” amount of time.