Sino ang dapat magbayad?

Hi to all..

Situation:

You are renting a house, then your monthly water bill suddenly increase by 4x the usual..Upon checking the meter base
it was confirmed that there is a leak somewhere along the pipeline. Now the question is Who's gonna pay for the
extra bill is it the owner or the tenant?

HI kalaboso

Under Art. 1654 of the civil Code, The obligations of a lessor are as follows:
1. to deliver the thing which is the object of the contract in such condition as to render it fit for the use intended;
2. to make on the same during the lease all the necessary repairs in order to keep it suitable for the use to which it has been devoted, unless there is a stipulation to the contrary;
3. to maintain the lessee in the peaceful and adequate enjoyment of the lease for the entire duration of the contract.

It is the obligation of the lessor to make the necessary repairs on the leaking pipeline. If not repaired then the lessor should bear the extra water bill. The answer would be different if the leak was caused by the fault or negligence of the lessee or if there is a stipulation in the contract of lease to that effect.

Please also note that if there is a leak before the meter, then it is your water distributor (eg Maynilad, manila Water etc) who shall bear the costs since the leak was located at the distribution pipe