Previous LL wants utility bills

[Shanti18]

I moved out of previous house 4 months ago after 3 years. No problems, deposit all returned. LL was constantly coming to the house for various reasons. Now the previous Estate Agent has called twice saying the LL cant get the energy company to talk to him. I advised that he will be getting monthly bills sent to the householder and to open them. I sent pics of meters with reads I sent, energy co name, letter showing CT all paid and moved to new address (down the road), letter confirming water bill transferred to new address and advised Sky provided TV etc. EA called again today to say the the LL is "tearing his hair out" over the energy company and could I send the final bills for water and energy to him to give to the LL. I moved 4 months ago and I feel that this is intrusive now and my bills are personal and confidential. Does anyone have legal knowledge of this. Someone suggested that I just block the EA so he cant keep asking me for stuff. I think he should know better than to ask me for my private accounts. Im not sure!

What would the harm be in sending them the final bills. They would confirm the final readings, your name and address and the amount paid. Surely that's pretty much it. I see no reason not to be helpful in his instance and then just move on. I think you'll spend longer over analysing what is a reasonable request given how hard it is to deal with utility companies at the best of times. Do your ex-LL a favour and do the decent thing.

If the utility companies won't talk to him because you're presumably still the account holder then I think you're being a bit unfair. Surely the bills he's requesting are for his property?

Apologies if I've got the wrong end of the stick.

It's a utility bill, hardly confidential!

YANBU. Send a brief message saying 'I have paid outstanding bills and closed accounts. Please don't contact me about this anymore.'

Something very iffy if the LL can't prove to the energy company that he's the owner. I wouldn't get involved.

You might need them for a reference at some point. Meter readings aren’t really personal data and they already knew your name and address

That seems weird to me. Whenever I've moved into a new property - rented or owned - I've just phoned the energy provider, told them what date I moved in and given them a meter reading. They set up a new account and it's not linked to the previous occupant account. Why can't the LL just get his own new accounts set up under the property address?

When you had your check out the meters should have been read.

I personally would try to understand the problem better. It’s not hard for him to ring up the companies and inform them that he is either living there or has a new tenant. The companies deal with this all the time.

They're not asking you for your private accounts. They're asking you for final bills. Why is it an issue to provide them?

So no I wouldn’t share my info with more knowledge. I think it a bit strange

I think the guy is really nosy. He came into the house at every opportunity when I lived there. He has all the details of the meter reads and letters that confirm I have moved the water account to new address, council tax paid and closed etc. I don't think the LL should be asking me for this.

Most contracts will require you to submit final bills - mine did, even though they never actually asked for them. Why not just give them the final bills? I don’t see why they’re “personal and confidential”.

I have moved down the road, the old LL has been around twice to drop mail off.

Was there a check out?

He sounds like a knob. Don't indulge his nosiness.

In your new home, use your rights, and don't let the LL in unless strictly necessary. You have a right to quiet enjoyment of your home.

They are personal and confidential. I don't see the reason for him to have them. I got my deposit back a week after leaving, its nothing to do with that.

I don’t see why they’re “personal and confidential”.

All mail is private and confidential to the addressed individual.

So photocopy them (or scan and print out) and redact any genuinely personal info, eg your new address.

Freddifox there was no inventory wierdly and I paid £70 worth of water when I first moved in as the final reading was the previous tenants 2 months earlier and a reading hadn't been sent for when I moved in. I submitted one a little after I got there and it was difficult to prove at that point. I suspect the EA hasn't really done his job properly and the LL is indulging his nosiness as Gulabjamoon says. I don't understand why the guy couldn't sort his own house bills out. He is renovating it to live in so it is empty at the moment.

I'm a landlord. This is really strange behaviour and I see no reason for him to need your account information. Tenants open their own accounts when they move in, and close them when they move out. I them get a bill addressed to "the owner" for amounts post move out date, and this is under a different account number. Meter is read for the tenants final bill, end of story. Although if he's dealing with EDF, then yes he's probably suicidal by now
Ask the estate agent to explain what legal right he has to this info.

@Shanti18 ah ok then, I know what's happened. He's either not paid his bill for when the property was vacant, or he has failed to do a check-in with new tenants and is therefore being pursued for 4 months of bills he's struggling to prove anything for. He just needs to give the utility the AST signed by the new tenant but I think he's utterly fucked up all the meter readings, so he's trying to get the only previous fixed reading, which was yours. He's an idiot and it's not your problem.

Some LLs are really entitled. My LL lived in Australia and I was expected to redirect all of his post to another address. It was a pain as I only need the post office once in a blue moon and there wasn't a post box nearby.

And then when the fucking pigeons were shitting all over the balcony, the agency and LL didn't pull their finger out for 3 months. I wouldn't be inclined to do nosy/unhelpful LLs a favour.

Not bashing LLs by the way, there have been some lovely ones on MN.

Thanks Tootletum. If I ask the EA to explain what legal right he has to this info he will have to explain that he hasn't right? Shouldnt the EA be doing his job and explaining that to the LL? And the energy co is Pure Planet but they will be sending him bills every month addressed to the householder with contact details and Ive explained this to the EA. The EA phoned today and said the LL is "tearing his hair out" because the energy co wont speak to him. But strangely he says its EOn even though Ive already said who it is and he will be getting bills in the post. The EA says he isn't going to deal with the guy again if he wants to rent his house out again. I think the LL is just nosy as well. Good advice thanks!

The house is empty he is renovating it to move into himself. There is no tenant.

Entitled is good way of describing him.

I am a LL. Some utility companies are great and some are absolute nightmares. Your final bill should say closing bill, or final bill. If it doesn't then it is still in your name, just give him a copy. Also if he has been twice to drop off mail you need to speak to RM about your redirection not working.