Summerside revisiting policies amid tenant complaints
Tenants recently had water cut off because landlord didn't pay bill on time
City councilors in Summerside, P.E.I., are trying to figure out if there is a way to let tenants know when a landlord doesn't pay the bill.
Tenants in a residential complex in Summerside had their water shut off after a landlord failed to pay the bill on time. After about an hour the landlord brought the account up to date and the water was turned back on.
Now, tenants are asking the city to notify them when a bill isn't being paid, forcing councilors to revisit utility policies.
We are certainly committed to go back and take a look at the policy.- Rob Philpott
Rob Philpott, director of financial services for the City of Summerside, said reviewing the policy is part of keeping tenants informed about impending shutoffs.
"While they understand the reasons why we undertook this particular procedure, they felt that they should have been notified by the municipality that something was afoot before they woke up without water in the middle of the summer."
Tenants want to be notified
Philpott said right now landlords can expect a first notice if the account is 10 days past due. The second, and final, notice will follow 14 days after the first if the amount is still unpaid.
It's during this period that tenants are asking the City to notify them of the potential shut offs.
"Well we certainly recognize that this type of situation really caused an inconvenience for the tenants and we certainly apologize to the tenants for that," Philpott said. "What we were simply trying to do is to be consistent in the application of the policy in respect to outstanding arrears."
"We are certainly committed to go back and take a look at the policy to see if there is ways we can make tenants aware of these types of situations if they happen to arise again in the future," Philpott said.
By the end of the summer, tenants in Summerside will know whether the City will be able to contact them during a similar situation or not.
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With files from Laura Chapin