273BVacation of property

273B Vacation of property

(1) A vacating occupier may—

(a) notify the Authority of his or her vacation or intended vacation of the property; and

(b) request the Authority to read the meter supplying water to the property.

(2) The Authority must ensure that the reading on the meter measuring the quantity of water supplied to the property is recorded—

(a) on the day the vacating occupier vacates the property; or

(b) as soon as practicable after that day; or

(c) within 48 hours after the Authority is given a notice under subsection (1); or

(d) as soon as practicable after the Authority is given notice under subsection (1)—

whichever occurs last.

(3) The vacating occupier is taken to cease to be the occupier of the property for the purposes of section 273A(1) on the reading of the meter under subsection (2).

(4) If a vacating occupier does not notify the Authority under subsection (1), the vacating occupier is liable for the cost of all water supplied to the property and all sewage disposed from the property until—

(a) the Authority next records the reading on the meter; or

(b) the end of the billing period in which the vacation occurred—

whichever happens first.

(5) The owner of a property is liable for any water usage charge or sewage disposal charge imposed in respect of the property for the period beginning when the vacating occupier ceases to be liable under this section and ending when a new notice is given under section 273A(1)(c).

(6) In this section—

property owner includes an owner of a property who has disposed of that property if the Authority has not been notified of that disposition in accordance with section 159;

vacating occupier means a person whose particulars have been given to an Authority under section 273A(1)(c) who vacates or intends to vacate the property in respect of which the particulars have been given.