Landlord pays water charges expects tenants to pay her

So like a lot of people in the country I have not registered with Irish water and don't intend to do so until I see what happens in the general election.

I received a phone call from my landlady today, she informed me that she had paid the first bill and expects me and the other tenets to pay for it and any future bills.

I'm going up to have a chat with her during the week, she is quite old and I suspect she fears she would be stuck paying the bills if she had not acted as she has. I also have a feeling if I tell her this is not the case, (I'm under the impression she would not be liable to pay the bills) she will not believe me.

We were very lucky to get the house we have and we don't want to put it in jeopardy (Our lease will be up for renewal in January), especially with the way the rental market is at the moment.

I'm not really sure what way to approach her about this, has anybody been put in a similar position, or have any advice on what we should do.

uck51js9zml2yt

If you want to stay in the house, never mind renew the lease, pay your bills.

miece16

just pay it. simple

Gatling

Register and leave it at that .

Tell her your registered an have own account ,
I'd be worried if your put your lease in jeopardy that you could loose some of your deposit

Gatling

Gatling wrote: »

Register and leave it at that .

Tell her your registered an have own account ,
I'd be worried if your put your lease in jeopardy that you could loose some of your deposit

I'm definitely leaning this way, but as someone who is against the water charges it goes against the grain to do so, I'm also a student and money is very tight at the moment.

Are any of you protesting the charges? although your advice is valid, appreciated and most likely the route we will take, if you're not protesting (by protesting I don't necessarily mean marching or picketing, I've done neither, not registering is my form of protesting :P ) you're advice is biased.

The decisions is not solely mine either, there are three tenants who have an equal say on whether they pay or not.

uck51js9zml2yt

Davion Lazy Sportsman wrote: »

I'm definitely leaning this way, but as someone who is against the water charges it goes against the grain to do so, I'm also a student and money is very tight at the moment.

Are any of you protesting the charges? although your advice is valid, appreciated and most likely the route we will take, if you're not protesting (by protesting I don't necessarily mean marching or picketing, I've done neither, not registering is my form of protesting :P ) you're advice is biased.

The decisions is not solely mine either, there are three tenants who have an equal say on whether they pay or not.

The advise of someone who isn't paying their bill is also biased.
The chances are that your lease says you're required to pay all bills.

You have a choice , pay up and renew in January or don't and find somewhere else that has no "bill" clause, loose part of your deposit, loose any hope of a reference.

Spanish Eyes

If you don't register or pay, I am sure the LL will deduct arrears from your deposit, or increase the rent by the fixed charge.

It's that simple.

Paying the water bills is not in the lease, as I mentioned the landlady is quite old and asked me to draw up the lease for her from an old lease she had when we moved in.

One way I was thinking of approaching her was offering to pay the bills, but keeping it in her name and if Irish water is scrapped next year she would refund us the money, I don't know how practical that solution is though.

Under no circumstances would we leave the landlady in the lurch for bills we owe.

I was beging to wonder had the old tellytube being lying to me, surely I wasn't the only one who hadn't registered for my stated reasons

I think we will mostly likely pay the landlady, even though I'd prefer not to, realistically I don't have much of an option, as my mother would say "Her house, her rules"

the_syco

Davion Lazy Sportsman wrote: »

I didn't start this thread to discuss views on Irish water, I wanted advice on broaching the topic with my landlady, the thread has veered of track slightly.

She has registered, so she'll be charged, and unless you register yourself, she'll just pass on the charges.

If you tell her that it goes against your principles to pay the IW tax, I'm sure you won't mind being evicted without the deposit, whilst standing by your principles?

Oh, and remember she's an old lady when you discuss your views, or you risk being out on your ear by weeks end.

sweetmaggie wrote: »

you're entitled to question something you don't agree with.

Yes, when it's either your house, or your name is on the bill, you can dispute the bill. Otherwise you'll be paying it.

CollyFlower

I'd pay up if I was you.... No matter where you rent in the future the LL will have water charges in the lease.

Bongalongherb

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

If you don't register or pay, I am sure the LL will deduct arrears from your deposit, or increase the rent by the fixed charge.

It's that simple.

Or just keep your deposit using the usual excuse that the apartment/house was not clean enough to their liking as they usually do.

the_syco

the_syco wrote: »

She has registered, so she'll be charged, and unless you register yourself, she'll just pass on the charges.

If you tell her that it goes against your principles to pay the IW tax, I'm sure you won't mind being evicted without the deposit, whilst standing by your principles?

Oh, and remember she's an old lady when you discuss your views, or you risk being out on your ear by weeks end.

I obviously would mind being evicted, If I didn't I wouldn't have bothered posting this thread.

My goal was to try and establish if this was a common practice among landlords, or had anybody else having similar views as me, been put in this situation and if so, how did they deal with it.

I've since been told that my views on why I don't want to "register" with Irish water are invalid, I never once said I didn't want to pay for my water, or that I intended to defraud my landlady in anyway.

In what way would me having a discussion with my landlady end in immediate eviction?

Stheno

Stheno wrote: »

So pay the bill via your landlord

As I mentioned in a previous comment that is the way I'm leaning.

alastair

alastair wrote: »

Because "money was tight"? So what did that mean precisely?

:pac: Seen that coming, I was not expecting to have to pay for these charges till next year, (I'm going into 4th year and should be in full time employment next May) if at all, because I had not registered, how was I to know my landlady would go the route she did.

I stand by what I said.

Nomis21

If I don't pay my water charges, my landlord has to pay instead.

So I pay the charges.. So should you.

Paulownia

I'd say that you need to pay the outstanding bill to the owner of the house and register with Irish water in your own name. In that way you will accept the consequences of your own actions should you decide not to pay in the future. At the moment you are hiding behind your landlady.

Eugene Norman

Davion Lazy Sportsman wrote: »

I obviously would mind being evicted, If I didn't I wouldn't have bothered posting this thread.

My goal was to try and establish if this was a common practice among landlords, or had anybody else having similar views as me, been put in this situation and if so, how did they deal with it.

I've since been told that my views on why I don't want to "register" with Irish water are invalid, I never once said I didn't want to pay for my water, or that I intended to defraud my landlady in anyway.

In what way would me having a discussion with my landlady end in immediate eviction?

If you don't pay it she will have to. Of course she either deducts that or persues you in claims court for it. So pay it.

the_syco

Davion Lazy Sportsman wrote: »

In what way would me having a discussion with my landlady end in immediate eviction?

I've seen people get excited talking about their opposal to the water charge.

Excited talk to an old person may be seen as aggressive if the person dismisses the landlords view, and gets more excited. The landlord will agree to escape the madness, and the next person you deal with will probably be their family who won't be so happy that you "terrorised mammy".

You seem to have your head screwed on okay, so just keep in mind that if the old person seems uncomfortable talking about IW, it's probably because they are.

Tarzana2

Davion Lazy Sportsman wrote: »

One way I was thinking of approaching her was offering to pay the bills, but keeping it in her name and if Irish water is scrapped next year she would refund us the money, I don't know how practical that solution is though.

Why would she refund you? Even if Irish Water was scrapped eventually, that doesn't mean people will be refunded for past bills.

Paulw

Mod Note Thread gone totally wild, and not appropriate for A&P. Thread closed.