Originally Posted by
palkid7
Been looking for houses over the past week and saw very nice options, however I was not clear on the issue of who is paying for the utilities bill? what is the norm ? does it vary by landlord or city?
Where I come from usually power/water/gas connections are available to each flat/house, yet not activated and needs to be activated by paying deposit fees etc.. is the same applicable in NZ ? a guidance about this issue is really appreciated.
Thanks
I would expect power to be paid by you (you would be required to set it up with your choice of power company upon moving in), though some landlords may pay it (and inflate the rent accordingly).
Water varies by location: some districts have meters, at which point you would probably be the one paying, other places the landlord a flat fee as part of his/her rates.
Gas: I would expect this to be similar to power, except gas is not common in all areas of NZ (neither our rental or our own home have had a gas line).