Real Estate Broker · Dallas · Member since 2013 · 116 posts · 10 votes
I finally got an answer today on the cost to separately meter my intended 9 unit MF property...$8000 per meter just for the capital recovery fee for the city. Then add on any installation charges. I was shocked to say the least.
So, this new landlord will be allocating water bills and billing tenants for their portion. I have been researching the rules and think I have it figured out. Unfortunately, I haven't found any billing companies that will do it for me with less than 100 units. Anyone know of a company who will work with smaller properties?
Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2011 · 87 posts · 56 votes
12y
Why not have your own sub meters installed by a plumber isolating each apt and install in an easily accessible area. PM can read monthly and bill back at $0.01 per gallon (which includes admin and sewer impact fee). Some states require a formal water bill to the tenants, but you can create it or use a template. Install (all in) should be under $1k per.
You will still keep the master shutoff just upstream of the City's meter, but when you build your manifold to hold the sub-meters, the plumber will install a shutoff before each of the sub meters.
In our old 5-unit converted Victorian, this was the easy part, the bigger job is the fact there was not an independent cold water run to all units ... we have to untangle the two units at the front of the building before we can have everyone paying their own water.
In PA it is illegal for a tenants electric meter running anything that is outside their apartment. The penalty is they convert the billed to the owner's responsibility and back date the charges, sometimes going back 10 years.
So before anybody puts any electric device on a tenants' electric meter, they should check local and state law to make sure that is legal to do.
Maybe in Canada, laws are not as tenant oriented as some palces south of the border.
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
Originally posted by @David Krulac:
@Roy N.
In PA it is illegal for a tenants electric meter running anything that is outside their apartment. The penalty is they convert the billed to the owner's responsibility and back date the charges, sometimes going back 10 years.
So before anybody puts any electric device on a tenants' electric meter, they should check local and state law to make sure that is legal to do.
Maybe in Canada, laws are not as tenant oriented as some palces south of the border.
Dave,
Thanks for the intervention, I had not considered that possibility. Here it would be permitted if it were fully disclosed and both parties agreed to it. However, it is possible that other jurisdictions in Canada may be similar to PA with respect to this matter.
On another note, you might be surprised to find that most jurisdictions in Canada are very tenant oriented ... just ask someone in Ontario or Nova Scotia about the adventure of eviction ... however, NB is far more balanced than most.
In the long-term, it might be worth the cost of a house meter to put the water/sewer in the tenants hands.