Bills, Bills, Bills! – They just keep coming, but hopefully we can try and ease the stress of it all a little bit by making sure that you are getting what you are possibly due.
Did you know that if you have your Urban Utilities bills directed to come to our agency that we automatically assess and oncharge any water costs to the tenant?
On top of this at tax time it is all in one place and you don’t have to keep track – you leave that to us.
When we review a water invoice we look at a couple of things to determine if we can charge water:
- the rental property is individually metered,
- the rental property is certified as water efficient; and
- the tenancy agreement states that the tenant must pay for water consumption costs.
In a lot of cases we charge what is called an “excess” which is any water used over what could be deemed “reasonable usage” which on average in the industry is 30 kilolitres per quarter. In this scenario properties are individually metered but are not “water efficient”.
By making a property water efficient – the landlord is able to on charge all water consumption rather than a portion. Quite often the cost of a plumber to make the average property compliant is compensated within the first 2 years, it is a very wise investment to maximize your income.
If our office already manages your Water Invoice Payments (urban utilities) – your bills are automatically reviewed and if possible we automatically on charge water usage to the tenant.
If you would like to confirm what your water situation is, please do not hesitate to call me – it is what I am here for.
We will also be reaching out through our social media from time to time, we welcome and ask you to join us on Facebook at facebook.com/StaceyLeeRealty
Happy Investing!