By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
An Estate Surveyor Valuer, ESV Rosech Nzekwue said There is a need for property managers to educate tenants on the importance of statutory bills imposed on the property occupiers .
He stated that statutory bills are bills imposed by the government on occupiers of private and commercial properties within the city areas.
ESV Nzekwue made this known yesterday in Abuja, saying that these bills are revenue to g overnment for the management of the general infrastructures in the neighbourhood.
He explained that “These bills include:
Tenement rat, which is usually 4% of the annual rental.Solid and liquid waste bill for the maintenance of the sewer line and
Refuse disposal billelectricityy bil, and
Water bill”.
TENANTS VIEW ON BILLS.
He said tenants in most cases see these bills as landlord’s responsibility and thus try to avoid the payment at the expense of the landlord, who is secondarily liable at default.
“The Act spelt it out that whoever occupies the property at the time of the services is primarily liable to the payment since it is bill based on usage. And it’s an annual payment which should go alongside the rent”.
CONSEQUENCE.
He stressed that Tenants are prone to unnecessary inconveniences whenever they default in these payments as the authority can disconnect from such services and in some cases charge them to Court.
RECOMMENDATION
He advised that Estate Surveyors and Valuers who are in property management should educate tenants and prospectors on the need to pay these bills as soon as they are served to avoid accumulation which is not healthy to both the landlord and the Government .
He said this will lead to poor maintenance of the facilities and health hazards to the tenants as well.
CONCLUSION
He emphasized that for effective and proper maintenance of property, it is expected that Estate Surveyors and Valuers should educate the tenants on the need to pay their statutory bills as at when due.
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