All moneys due to a local authority for local authority services shall be recoverable by the local authority jointly and severally from the owner and occupier of the premises in respect of which the services were rendered:
Provided that—
the owner shall, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, be entitled to recover from the occupier of the said premises any such charges paid by him in respect of the occupation by such occupier; and
occupier
“occupier” means the person in occupation of the premises in respect of which the word is used or having the charge, management or control thereof either on his own account or as agent of another person but does not include a lodger;
the occupier shall be entitled to deduct from any rent or other amount payable by him to the owner of the premises any portion of such charges paid by or recovered from him which the owner could not lawfully have required him to pay.
A local authority may charge and recover interest on unpaid charges for services at a rate not exceeding one per centum per month or part of a month.