Has anyone installed individual water meters?

Question

Hello-

After receiving a very large quarterly water bill(+$1000)on a three family in Quincy, MA, I am curious to get other investors input on installing individual water meters for each unit. I have read that if you get the tenants to pay for their own water own water, water consumption will go down.(makes sense)

Please share costs involved in doing such and what the tenants response was, did any of them move out b/c of this change?

Thanks in advance!

-Paul

Victor Eng · Answer

@Paul Lombardi @Karen Bickford @Joan L.

I have done this on a limited number of properties. One thing I have not seen mentioned is that you will be required to install water-saving devices on showerheads, replace toilets that flush efficiently, low flow faucets, which will be an upfront capital cost. On a standard triple decker - converting everything cost about $2k.

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/environmental/s...

Hope that's helpful!!

Paul Lombardi · Answer

Thanks everyone!

I have replaced two of the three toilets with water saving ones and installed low flow shower heads a and airators for the faucets.

I will start to call around to get quotes.

Thanks- Paul

Henry Li · Answer

To do this type of work, it is probably not easy nor cheap. Depends on the age of the house and the existing plumbing layout....  you will need a plumber to separate the water pipes before installing individual meters for each unit. I have never done it.... if it is easy I would consider doing it also for a 3 family rental.

While your existing tenants might not like the idea, but Quincy rental is pretty strong. As long as rent is reasonable, I don't see doing this will have much negative side effect.

Joan L. · Answer

Oh, also, I charge my tenants water as my unit was relatively new, so came with a separate meter - my realtor told me she thought charging for water was going to make renting it difficult. It did take me a while (Cambridgeport, 2+ months, tried to get 8/1 but had to get 9/1 instead) to rent my place at what appeared to be market rent so it could have been the water or it could have been a softening of the market.

Joan L. · Answer

@Paul Lombardi Karen is correct about New tenancies, and you can't get force existing tenants out to get new ones because of water, though I'm not sure how they'd prove that. You also have to file a form certifying your place is submetered and low-flow with the health department or inspection department along with a copy of your lease.

http://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/booklets/water-law

Karen Bickford · Answer

I believe in MA you can only charge for water on New tenancies so unless your tenants are leaving and you are going to get new ones it would be moot at this point. In other words you can't install the sub meters and then start charging.

Has anyone installed individual water meters?

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