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What You Can Charge Your Tenant For

A clear guide to tenant responsibilities across Australia and New Zealand, and how to include these charges in your rental agreement with confidence.

Who Pays For What? The Simple Version

Tenants generally pay for:

  • Rent
  • Water usage (if metered and water-efficient)
  • Utilities they control
  • Damage they cause
  • Cleaning if they leave the home dirty
  • Pest control caused by their behaviour or pets
  • Break-lease advertising costs
  • Replacement keys/remotes
  • Insurance excess (only when they caused the damage)
  • Payment dishonour fees (at cost, in some states)

Landlords generally pay for:

  • Council rates
  • Water supply charges (except SA and some WA/NT cases)
  • Sewage (except SA)
  • Building insurance
  • Landlord contents insurance
  • General maintenance and wear and tear
  • Gutter cleaning from natural debris
  • Pest control from environmental causes
Mint's Mantra: If you want to charge for something, put it clearly in the contract. Clarity equals confidence for both sides. Mint handles all of this for you with comprehensive contracts tailored to your jurisdiction's rules.

Water Charges

Across jurisdictions you can charge for various components of water usage, supply and sewage. Here's what's allowed where.

Water Usage

Tenants can be charged for water usage when:

  • The property is individually metered
  • The property meets water-efficiency standards
  • The tenancy agreement clearly states the tenant pays usage

Water-Efficient Standards

Most states define a property as water-efficient when: showerheads are 9L/min or less, taps are 9L/min or less, toilets are dual-flush (6.5/3.5L or better), and there are no leaks anywhere on the property. If your property doesn't meet these standards, you can't legally charge for usage.

The average Australian household uses 180–220 litres of water per person per day. For a two-person household, that's 12,000–14,000 litres per month, costing up to $840 per year. That's a meaningful cost — and one that tenants expect to pay when the property is water-efficient.

Charging for usage encourages responsible water habits, reduces your ongoing costs and aligns with standard practice across Australia and NZ.

Water Supply & Connection Fees

Most states treat supply charges as a landlord cost that cannot be passed on to tenants. Only three jurisdictions differ:

  • South Australia (SA) — Tenants can be charged water supply + water usage + sewage
  • Western Australia (WA) — Tenants can be charged supply only if the water provider bills them directly; if the bill is addressed to the landlord, the landlord pays supply. Plus it must be in the contract.
  • Northern Territory (NT) — Tenants can be charged supply only if the contract explicitly assigns it; if the agreement is silent, the landlord pays supply

Sewage & Wastewater Charges

Only South Australia (SA) allows landlords to charge tenants for sewage. All other states and NZ treat sewage as a landlord cost.

Mint's Fresh Take - Upgrade Water Efficiency Yourself

Water-saving aerators, low-flow showerheads, and efficient tap fittings are inexpensive and easy to install. You can find them at major hardware stores like Bunnings by searching for "water-saving aerator", "low-flow showerhead", or "water-efficient tap fittings". Upgrading these gives you the confidence to charge for usage legally.

Water Charges by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Water Usage Water Supply / Connection Sewage / Wastewater Requirements
NSW Yes No No Metered + water-efficient + in contract
VIC Yes No No Metered + in contract
QLD Yes No No Metered + water-efficient + in contract
WA Yes Yes — only if water provider bills tenant directly No Usage if metered; supply only when billed to tenant
SA Yes Yes Yes Must be in contract
TAS Yes No No Metered + in contract
ACT Yes No No Metered + in contract
NT Yes Yes — only if contract explicitly assigns supply charges Yes — depends on provider + contract Usage if metered; supply only if contract states it
NZ Yes No No Metered + in contract

Yard, Garden & Gutter Maintenance

Tenant Responsibilities

Tenants can be responsible for:

  • Mowing lawns
  • Weeding garden beds
  • Keeping outdoor areas tidy
  • Removing rubbish
  • Keeping drains free of tenant-caused blockages

Gutter cleaning from natural debris is usually a landlord responsibility. However, if the tenant caused the blockage through negligence, they can be charged for clearing it.

MInt's Fresh Take: Use a contract clause like:

"The tenant agrees to maintain the lawns, gardens, and outdoor areas in a clean and tidy condition, including keeping drains free of blockages caused by the tenant."

Pest Control

Tenant Pays When:

  • Pests appear due to poor cleanliness
  • Pests are introduced by pets (fleas, mites, etc.)
  • The tenant's behaviour attracts pests
  • The agreement requires end-of-lease flea treatment for pets

Landlord Pays When:

  • Pests are environmental (e.g., seasonal ants)
  • Pests are structural (e.g., rats entering through gaps)
  • The issue existed before the tenancy

Mint's Fresh Take - Use a contract clause like:

"If the tenant keeps pets at the property, the tenant is responsible for any pest control required as a result of the pet, including flea treatment at the end of the tenancy." — Allowed in all Australian states + NZ.

Damage, Cleaning & Missing Items

Tenants can be charged for:

  • Damage beyond fair wear and tear
  • Cleaning if the home is left unreasonably dirty
  • Missing items (keys, remotes, access cards, etc.)
  • Replacing lightbulbs or batteries they were responsible for

Landlords cover:

  • Wear and tear
  • Appliance failure
  • Structural issues
  • Age-related deterioration

Insurance Excess (When Tenants Pay It)

Tenants can be required to pay (directly or through bond) the excess only when they are unable to pay the full cost of repairs caused by their negligence or intentional damage.

There is generally no incentive for landlords to claim on their insurance if the damage is clearly the tenant's fault and the tenant can cover the repair costs directly. Using insurance in such cases could lead to higher premiums for the landlord without benefit, so landlords usually seek to recover costs directly from tenants first.

Advertising & Re-Letting Costs (Break Lease Only)

Tenants can be charged for advertising when they break the lease early. This includes:

  • Listing fees
  • Photography
  • Signboards
  • Lease preparation costs (in some states)
  • Letting fees (Australia only — NZ bans letting fees)

Rules for advertising charges:

  • Must be reasonable
  • Must be at cost
  • Must be proportionate to the time left on the lease

Mint's Fresh Take - Use a contract clause like:

"If the tenant ends the fixed-term agreement early, the tenant agrees to pay the reasonable costs of re-letting the property, including advertising and lease preparation costs, proportionate to the time remaining on the agreement." — Allowed in all Australian states + NZ (advertising only).

Payment Fees & Rent Collection

Can landlords charge tenants a payment fee?

Only in some jurisdictions, and only at cost. You cannot charge:

  • Penalties
  • Admin fees
  • Markups
  • "Convenience fees"

Mint's Fresh Take:

Mint collects and tracks rent without charging tenants any fees. Payments go directly from tenant to landlord, and Mint tracks arrears, sends reminders, automates notices, reconciles payments, and keeps a clean audit trail. No fees. No friction. No surprises.

Rates, Building Insurance & Contents Insurance

Landlords pay for:

  • Council rates
  • Building insurance
  • Landlord contents insurance

Tenants pay for:

  • Their own contents and liability insurance (optional but recommended)

How to Include These Charges in Your Contract

To make charges clear and enforceable:

Use a compliant tenancy agreement

Mint provides tenancy agreements tailored to your property that ensure you're within your rights as a landlord and communicating everything clearly to the tenant.

List each charge clearly, including:

  • What the tenant pays for
  • When it's payable
  • How it's calculated

Use "at cost" language for:

  • Keys
  • Remotes
  • Water usage (if water efficient)
  • Damage
  • Insurance excess

Avoid vague clauses, such as:

  • "Tenant pays all landlord costs"
  • "Tenant pays for any repairs"

Best Practices:

  • Match the clause to your jurisdiction's rules
  • Keep it simple — clarity builds confidence for both sides

Mint Takeaway

You don't need to memorise tenancy law to self-manage confidently with Mint. Just remember:

  • Tenants pay for what they use or damage
  • Landlords pay for ownership and long-term upkeep
  • Clear contract wording prevents 90% of issues
  • Mint's templates already include the important clauses
  • Mint automates the rest — water usage, rent tracking, breach notices, and more

You stay in control, without the stress.