Who is responsible for water and wastewater charges?
Subsection 398 (2) of the Municipal Act of 2001 allows the City of Hamilton to add the unpaid water bills to the property owner’s tax roll, even if it is a rental and the owner does not live there. Although tenants get the bills, property owners must pay any outstanding water fees. These outstanding fees are added to the tax roll and have priority lien status described under section 1 of the Municipal Act, 2001.
To assist property owners who direct water and wastewater billings to a tenant, Alectra Utilities endeavours to notify property owners of tenant/account holder arrears at 30 calendar days beyond the due date. If the account remains unpaid, the water/wastewater arrears will be added to the property’s tax roll when the account is 60 calendar days beyond the due date.
Owners with residential properties
Hamilton City Council approved changes to the water billing policy. All residential accounts opened on or after June 1, 2018, must be in the property owner’s name(s), not the tenant(s) ’s. Alectra Utilities, as the City’s water billing agent, will accept payments from tenants and other non-owners. However, it is the property owner’s responsibility to make sure that tenants pay the bills on time.
Existing accounts billed in the tenant’s name(s) will remain until they move out. Once they move, Alectra will put the water account in the property owner’s name(s). Alectra Utilities will mail the water bill to the owner’s address as listed on the property taxes. To update mailing address information, contact the City of Hamilton’s Taxation office.
For more information, visit these links:
Why property owner contact information is needed
The city’s staff and authorized agents may need access to the property to do maintenance work and must have access to the meter to read and collect the data. When it is not possible to get access through a tenant, they will contact the property owner.
If the city can’t access and read the water meter through the owner or tenant, the water bills will follow the charges protocol explained above. Alectra Utilities needs property owners’ contact information to avoid adding unpaid or unable to read water meter fees to tax rolls.
Alectra Utilities needs property owners’ contact information, including mailing address, phone number(s), and email address. The property owner must make sure that we have their current address to get updates. Please contact us or the City of Hamilton’s taxation office to update your address.
The City of Hamilton’s taxation office contact information:
71 Main Street West,
Hamilton Ontario,
PO Box 2040 Stn LCD 1,
L8N 0A3
taxsupport@hamilton.ca