Tenant or Landlord? Who Cleans the Water Tank in Delhi

This argument happens in a lot of Delhi rentals, usually after the water starts smelling. The default position is clearer than most tenants expect.

The default

A water tank is part of the property’s fabric — a fixture, not a consumable. Maintaining fixtures is ordinarily the owner’s responsibility, in the same category as the plumbing, the geyser and the roof. A tenant is responsible for day-to-day upkeep and for damage they cause, not for periodic maintenance of the building’s systems.

What a lease can change

Plenty. Many Delhi rental agreements make the tenant responsible for maintenance "up to a specified amount" or explicitly for the tank. Read the maintenance clause before you argue — if it names the tank, the default no longer applies.

Where it usually lands in practice

If the landlord will not engage

• Put the request in writing — WhatsApp is fine and is a record
• Photograph the tank interior if you can do so safely
• Note the specific symptom: smell, sediment, discolouration, larvae
• Get a written quote and send it; a number is easier to approve than a request
• For contamination affecting habitability, escalate formally rather than absorbing it

The pragmatic answer

For a ₹899 clean on a tank you drink from daily, many tenants decide that six months of arguing is worth more than ₹899 and simply book it. That is a reasonable call — just take the invoice and photos, and raise it at renewal rather than letting it become the new normal.

Moving in?

Have the tank cleaned before you move in, not after. You have no idea when it was last done, the previous tenant has no reason to tell you, and it is the cheapest possible start to a tenancy.