Utility Bills

cheechm · 26 Jul 2013 at 08:10

Just a quick one:

Old tennants moved out at the end of June, and the new tenants contract begun on the 1st July, however the keys haven't been collected yet. Who's liable for the utilities in between the period. Are the new tennants liable as soon as their contract starts?

(P.S. it's a student house if that makes a difference)

bledd · 26 Jul 2013 at 08:11

When I've been a tenant, I've walked in with my keys & stuff, checked the meter reading and called up to register with it.

If there's a period in between, the landlord is liable for it.

Take a photo of it, preferably with some Hovis / newspaper

Haggisman · 26 Jul 2013 at 08:13

Tenants don't have access to the property, why should they be liable for the bills?

boxman2000 · 26 Jul 2013 at 08:13

bledd. said:
If there's a period in between, the landlord is liable for it.

This for sure. The company I work for manages properties (among other things) and this is pretty standard but I would keep an eye on it as the more unscrupulous landlords may try and palm that off on you.

Glaucus · 26 Jul 2013 at 08:14

boxman2000 said:
This for sure. The company I work for manages properties (among other things) and this is pretty standard but I would keep an eye on it as the more unscrupulous landlords may try and palm that off on you.

Not sure that would apply in this situation.

I would say the tenants, houses can use some power even when not there. Depending what's fitted and what's been left on. And as the contracted has Already started, I would say its down to you.

Zogger · 26 Jul 2013 at 09:30

I'm not a lawyer or any kind of expert but from what I've heard, if they are not allowed to move in yet then technically you have not delivered on your half of the contract, so the contract has not actually started, despite whatever it might say.
e.,g. if it says, the contract runs from July but you're not allowed to move in until September, well that's a ridiculous clause that always seems to be in student tenancies but I'm sure is not legally enforcable, so I would say you would be liable.
If you have given them the keys and it's ok for them to move in, they just haven't because they don't want to - I would say they are liable.

edit: misunderstood OP re who is the landlord and who is the tenant...

httk · 26 Jul 2013 at 10:34

I would say morally/ethically/politeness dictates that the landlord should pay, because they can't get in the house. The first thing I would do when given the keys is check the meter (well, maybe 2nd or 3rd thing).

However, they likelihood of them kicking up is slim if they're students. And I can see the argument that the tenancy period has started so they should pay (I assume the tenancy period has started, as stipulated in the contract?)

Surely the best thing to do would be to switch off everything the property except complete essentials, then whoever ends up paying for it will only have to pay a couple of quid.

cheechm · 26 Jul 2013 at 10:34

I'm the tennant. Basically, we have no choice but to start paying rent from the beginning of July (how the student property market seems to work), but since that time, none of us have been to the house, nor do any of us have keys. Therefore, I was just wondering, during that time, who is liable for any utilities.

Technically speaking, we can move in now (well, when the landlord gets back from holiday).

Glaucus · 26 Jul 2013 at 10:36

httk said:
I would say morally/ethically/politeness dictates that the landlord should pay, because they can't get in the house. The first thing I would do when given the keys is check the meter (well, maybe 2nd or 3rd thing).

However, they likelihood of them kicking up is slim if they're students. And I can see the argument that the tenancy period has started so they should pay (I assume the tenancy period has started, as stipulated in the contract?)

Surely the best thing to do would be to switch off everything the property except complete essentials, then whoever ends up paying for it will only have to pay a couple of quid.

By the sounds of it, that's only because they haven't been bothered to pick the keys up so would still be down to them not landlord imo, the contracts started so they can live there. Or if not, can the op expand on the situation.

So you can move in, your responsibility. You should have got down there checked in, turned everything off, done the house check etc.

Zogger · 26 Jul 2013 at 10:37

cheechm said:
I'm the tennant.

well that changes things! Switch you with they in my post, but good luck getting any sense out of a landlord