Press release - Tap tightened on tenants' water bills

12-May-2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tap tightened on tenants' water bills - Watercare agrees to important billing change

Auckland, New Zealand - 12 May 2016 - Tenants will no longer be overcharged for their water and landlords will cut down on their paperwork under an important change by Watercare this week – heralded as a victory for owner and occupier.

After years of negotiation by the Auckland Property Investors Association (APIA), Watercare has agreed to let landlords pay their fixed water charge in one annual lump sum in July instead of being invoiced monthly on a per day basis.

For the rest of the year, the monthly bill will show only usage charges which are passed on to the tenant either by the landlord or by Watercare direct, making it clearer how much tenants must pay. This will eliminate considerable confusion about the various charges on the Watercare bill, and the constant debate over who is responsible for what charges.

“Some tenants inadvertently end up paying more than they should under the current system,” says APIA vice president Peter Lewis who currently spends some 70 hours annually administering the water charges. Other major property management companies have staff dedicated to processing water bills – adding to rental costs.

Mr Lewis says APIA has been working with Watercare for the past three years to simplify the system and make it more transparent for everyone.

As this is an opt-in system that needs to be actioned before 30 June, Mr Lewis is urging all landlords and property manager to contact Watercare immediately. For more information, visit watercare.co.nz and type “landlords” into the search box.

“APIA believes that all parties involved will benefit from the new system, and urges all eligible landlords to participate,” he says.
 
“Tenants will benefit from clarity in knowing exactly how much they are required to pay and landlords and property managers will benefit from a reduction in the amount of bookkeeping required of them.
 
“Watercare will benefit from an increased cash flow earlier in their financial year.
 
“A good outcome for all concerned.”

 

* The Auckland Property Investors' Association (APIA) is an independent, non-profit organisation developed to provide professional development and networking opportunities for its members – property investors and other professionals involved in the property market. APIA was established in 1994 and is affiliated with the NZ Property Investors’ Federations (NZPIF), the umbrella body for 20 local property investors’ associations (PIA) throughout New Zealand. Its aim is simple – to help you make the most of owners' property investments. As well as the many benefits offered to members to help them prosper, APIA also acts as an independent voice for the industry and a lobby group to local government when needed.

 

Contact

Sandra Roberts

sandra@skip.co.nz

021 525104

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All round it has been one of those things Neil and I felt was really worthwhile belonging to. We have learned so much it has just built our confidence in what we are doing.

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I find the information obtained from various APIA meetings very useful in guiding my own property investment and rental management.  I also enjoy the networking opportunities with like-minded investors.  I am inspired by other investors’ success and find the more experiences and knowledge that I share with others, the more confident I become.  

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