Landlord portal launched to tackle tenants water debts

Are you a Landlord of a rented property? Have your tenants left without settling outstanding water debts?

It is the responsibility of a tenant to settle any outstanding water bills before leaving rented accommodation however customers are not obliged to notify their water company when they move in or out of a property. In a bid to tackle outstanding water debt issues the Landlord and Tenant Address Portal (Landlord TAP) has been launched. It is an easy to use website allowing Landlords and Managing Agents of properties in England and Wales, to provide water companies with tenants’ basic contact details.

The provision of information by Landlords is encouraged in order to reduce the cost of bad debt, which is currently estimated to add £15 to an average customer’s water bill.

Once registered on the portal, a Landlord may use the forms on the website to provide the required information. The information is then passed to the relevant water company automatically and the Landlord will receive a unique transaction receipt reference for its records.

The website allows Landlords and Managing Agents to provide information:-

• When adding new properties to their portfolio.
• When changing tenant details, including changes of tenancy.
• When a property becomes empty.
• When selling or no longer managing the property.

To register visit the Landlord TAP website.

If you need any further information about this new service, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our Conveyancing Team.