Forum spotlight: Informing utilities companies of a change in tenant

A landlord posted on our forum asking whether they needed to contact their utility company to tell them about a change of tenant, or whether it was the tenant's responisbility to sort it out?

They said they were struggling to contact certain suppliers to update the accounts each time there was a change - and took to the forums to ask what other landlords usually do.

The responses one our forum

The responses to the post were all very similar.

The first landlord to reply suggested that, although our landlord found it a little more time consuming to contact the utilities companies themselves, they should still continue to do this, to ensure the details are changed and the landlord doesn't end up with the bill at the end of the tenancy.

Then a member of the NRLA's expert advice team joined the thread.

They agreed with the other comments, and advised the landlord inform utility suppliers of the date a tenant leaves - along with meter readings so a final bill can be actioned. The bill will then transfer to the landlord's name during any void period.

Other landlords agreed that if the utility companies are unaware of tenants' movements, it can cause issues in working out both how much and who to bill further down the line.

To read the original forum post, click here.