Buying a property

You don't need to contact us to set up a new account. Your services will already be in place. We automatically transfer the account into the new owner's name as part of the settlement process.

It's a good idea to find out everything you can from the seller or other sources before you commit to buying a property.

Find out what existing services and charges apply to the property you want to buy. You'll find them at certificates, documents and diagrams. This knowledge will help you make accurate adjustments at settlement.

Sometimes private water and wastewater pipes are shared with other customers, or pipes go across a neighbour's land. Ask your conveyancer to see if there's an easement. An easement gives you the legal right to access your pipes for repairs or maintenance. It may also stop other landowners from building over your pipes.

The seller should share information on extra obligations. These may include cooperating with neighbours to manage joint services, or making sure you have permission to access land when you need to maintain your pipes. There are extra obligations around maintaining your service if your new property has any private services that are:

• joint – where the private pipe serves more than one customer
• encroaching – where the private pipe is laid on another customer's land without an easement or legal access agreement
• extended – where a long line of private pipe is needed because the property isn't near our water main.

• If you're using a conveyancer
  Conveyancers normally purchase a conveyancing certificate from us. It lists any outstanding charges on the property being sold, which helps you and the seller pay correctly adjusted Sydney Water charges. It also ensures you're only responsible for new charges after the settlement date. Your conveyancer may arrange a special meter reading to ensure that the water usage charge is accurate at the settlement date.
• If you're not using a solicitor or conveyancer
  You can buy a conveyancing certificate from a Property Link broker. You can also use our charges and water usage calculators to work out a water usage adjustment.

As soon as we know you're the new owner, we'll send you your account details. Home owners get them on their welcome letter or first bill. Business owners get them on their first bill. Once you've received your account details, you can register for My Account.

Your first bill will arrive following the first meter reading after settlement. We usually read meters and send bills every quarter. Payment is due 21 days after we send the bill.

• If you want us to send your bill to a managing agent or another address, you can make mailing address changes.
• If you have questions about charges on your first bill, contact your conveyancer or call us on 13 20 92 8am–5:30pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays).

We don't turn off water between owners. If the property's already connected to standard services covered by our Customer Contract, those services will be ready to use. Standard services include:

• normal connections to gravity sewers without pumps or tanks
• normal connections to water services at standard pressure and without pumps or extended lines of private pipe.

If you're building a new home, you need to apply for connection to our pipes so you can use water, wastewater or stormwater services. This applies to any type of new property, including granny flats and dual occupancy units. You'll need to:

• get building plan approval
• apply for a Section 73 Compliance Certificate if necessary
• apply to connect at Sydney Water Tap in.

If your new property has non-standard services (such as trade wastewater), we'll send you a new connection agreement when we're informed the property's changed hands. Ask the seller's agent and your conveyancer about connection conditions you should know about.

New types of connections will probably only apply if your property is non-residential.

You must provide us with accurate descriptions of the business activities you or your tenants will be performing, as there may have additional trade waste obligations. We'll determine the types of connections you or your tenants need.

If you need a new type of connection (like applying for permission to discharge trade wastewater), please check your application requirements and apply at Sydney Water Tap in.