Where a property is provided water by a supplier who operates "wholly or mainly in Wales", certain notifications to the supplier about a new tenancy are required. The water authorities are Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Dee Valley Water. The legislation does not affect properties covered by other water providers. Still, some properties in the English counties of Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire supplied by those two providers are caught. Despite Severn Trent Water delivering water to some properties in Wales, those properties are NOT caught by the legislation (because they do not supply water wholly or mainly in Wales).

The owner of the property (or their agent) must supply the following information about any adult occupiers (including persons not named on the tenancy agreement but not children under age 18):

their full names;
their dates of birth (where such information has been provided to the owner);
the date or dates on which the occupiers began to occupy the premises (if that date is after 1 January 2015).

It is essential to clarify that the duty relates to all "occupiers" except lodgers. It does not matter what type of tenancy or licence they may have. Nor does it matter whether it is the occupiers only or principal home or not.

Any of the following methods can provide the information:

post
telephone
email
Tenant Address Portal for Water Billing in England & Wales.

You must provide the information within 21 days of the date on which an occupier begins to occupy the premises. For existing occupiers, as of 1 January 2015, you must have provided the information within 21 days of commencement (so by 21 January 2015).

A failure to provide the information will result in the property owner becoming jointly and severally liable for the occupier's water charges. However, where the information is provided within 21 days, the owner will not be responsible for any water charges.

If the information is provided late (after 21 days), the owner's joint and several liabilities will continue until the information is provided and will only cease from giving the information onwards.

You must notify the occupier that you will provide the information before an owner gives the information to the water authority. A suitable application for accommodation form telling the contract-holder that you will use the information in that way is the easiest way of complying with that requirement.

Notify Water Authority

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