Ever since the Water Industry Act 1999 made it illegal for water providers to disconnect supplies from households in the UK, even if they failed to pay their bills, the issue of unpaid invoices has been a significant one.

The water industry has worked with the government and the letting sector to design a national landlord portal. Its purpose is to help water companies ensure that the person benefiting from water and sewerage services at a rented property pays the amount due.

Landlord Tap is a new portal designed to help Landlords keep the water companies informed.  The portal will provide a system for recording information about tenants in rental properties in England and Wales. Landlords, and their managing agents, will add information about their new tenants. This will be stored securely by the Landlord Tap and then made available to the supplying water companies, so that they can collect water and sewerage charges.

Signing up to the scheme means that you can register your properties and tenant details quickly and easily – and because you are in charge of the account it can always be kept up to date.

From your account you can:

• Add new properties to your portfolio;

• Change tenant details, including changes of tenancy;

• Notify that a property is empty; and

• Inform on properties you sell or stop managing

It doesn't matter which company you are registered with as the portal informs all water suppliers – and will provide water companies with the details of those responsible for the payment of water and/or sewerage charges for a tenanted property.

Unpaid bills cost the water companies millions every year, which is costing the rest of us on average another £15 on our bills. Hopefully, by reducing the amount of outstanding debt, everyone’s charges can be reduced.

To find out more click here … Download

First published December 2014

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