Who pays for the Utilities (water, gas, electricity)?

Frances Fernandez Posted on 30 Jan 2023

Utility charges vary from property to property however in most circumstances the tenant must pay for their own electricity, gas and water charges. Details regarding the payment of utilities will be mentioned in your tenancy agreement

Water
Landlords are allowed to pass on the full water consumption charges (including bulk water charges) to tenants provided all the minimum criteria have been met. A breakdown of water charges is shown below:

Charge as shown on water bill	Can tenant be charged?
State Bulk Water Charge	Yes, tenant can be charged if property is water efficient
Water Usage Charges	Yes, tenant can be charged if the property is water efficient
Sewerage Usage Charge (may appear on the bill as fixed or variable)	No, tenant cannot be charged Sewerage is not a service charge as defined by the Act and cannot be passed onto the tenant
Fixed Access Charges (including Water Access Charge and Sewerage Access Charge)	No, tenant cannot be charged The landlord must pay all fixed charges for water supply

Electricity, gas phone and internet

Tenants usually pay for services such as electricity, gas, phone and internet. They may also be charged for water (conditions apply). The tenant should check if a service is available, and connected, before signing a tenancy agreement. If a service is not connected they should find out the cost of connection.

The property manager/landlord may decide to pass on service charges to the tenant. How the amount is calculated and paid must be agreed in advance and included in the tenancy agreement.

A tenant cannot be charged more than the amount charged by the authority supplying the service.