Extract from a report in today's Irish Times (29 September 2014):
"Irish Water has said landlords will not be held liable for arrears of water charges built up by their tenants.
The utility firm said landlords will be sent application packs in relation to their rental properties, which they must forward to the tenants.
In the case of an owner occupier, the full allowances in relation to water usage are allocated in the normal way and the occupier is liable for the bill.
A spokeswoman explained that if the property was unoccupied the landlord could claim unoccupied dwelling status and pay a set charge. The level of which is still under consideration by the regulator. In this case the landlord is liable for the charge.
However in the case of a rented property, Irish Water said, “The tenant is liable for the charge and is also eligible for the allowances as the property is the principal primary residence of that household.”
However the spokeswoman said application packs for rented dwellings would be addressed to the landlord, at the landlord’s residence, and it would be the landlord’s responsibility to ensure the tenant received the application pack."