Given the drought we are currently facing, it is time to start making tenants pay for their water bills. At the moment the bill gets sent to the landlord. This is absurd, as the tenants never even find out how much water they use. Not making the person who uses a resource pay for it guarantees that it will be wasted. Tenants already pay the electricity bill and no-one would expect them to get it for free. Why should water be any different?

It will not disadvantage tenants as they currently pay for it anyway. It's just that at the moment landlords try to factor into the rent what an average tenant will use in water - an average tenant who is not concerned with what the water bill actually is.

They should only be sent that part of the bill that covers the water consumed. At the moment water bills are split into two parts, one to pay for the physical connection and ne for the water used. The bill for the connection should still be paid by the landlord.

Is it a special clause in your tenancy contract?

In NSW I understand tenants pay the usage.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Qld-renters-to-be-charged-for-water-use/2007/10/15/1192300674360.html

Landlords will be able to charge tenants for their water use under legislation to be introduced to Queensland parliament this week, Premier Anna Bligh says.

Cabinet approved a number of legislative changes dealing with water that will be introduced to parliament this week, and be passed by the end of the year.

Among the changes are new measures aimed at making renters more accountable for their water use, and the banning of any council charges being applied to water from residential rainwater tanks.

The laws will allow landlords who have installed water saving devices - such as dual flush toilets and low-flow shower heads - in their rental properties to have individual meters installed to monitor their tenants' water use.