Am I responsible for tenant's excessive water bill?

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Am I responsible for tenant's excessive water bill?

Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes

Hello All,

This is my first post and I just started investing in single family, long term rental, homes at the beginning of the year.

At what point am I responsible for paying, or paying part of, an excessive water bill? Up until a couple of months ago, the water usage was typical, I think around 8,000 gallons but then it spiked to over 64,000 gallons. The tenants are a couple of young brothers who I'm finding are treating the house as an apartment an do not realize they have some responsibility in maintaining the yard and reporting any leaks or damage. I investigated for any water leaks and only found two sprinkler head pipes were broken. This is a small yard so there are only 3 zones and probably around 15 sprinkler heads. I also found they had adjusted the timing on one zone to 1.5 hours 4 times a week, all of the others are where I set them which was 4 minutes. I made the repairs 2 days after they told me about the broken pipes but they are still asking me to help them with the water bill. I have had a plumber investigate and he found no leaks in the house or meter. 64k gallons is a lot. My only other scenario is the neighbor with the pool may have been borrowing water although I have no proof.

What else do you recommend I do? I think I have done my part and a landlord but I could be wrong, please advise.

Thanks for any advice,

Andy

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Dan H.Pro Member

Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes

It seems the lease indicates the water costs are the tenants’ responsibility.

We have paid for water leaks that are a result of a leak that tenant would be hard pressed to find prior to receiving a water bill that shows the irregularity. This includes slab leaks and main line leaks.

We do not help with the water bill for easy toilets, broken sprinkler heads, leaks at irrigation valves, etc.

if the meter stops, there is not a slab leak or main line leak. Our tenants would have to pay this water bill.

Good luck

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Ned J.Pro Member
Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
64K gallons.... holy sh*t...... are you 100% sure there isnt an underground leak? There may be an underground leak that isnt obvious. Thats a HUGE difference and I cant see the sprinklers doing that.....
If there is no leak, and its really the tenants doing stupid stuff, then the entire bill is on them..... I'm not paying a dime of it.
So as a landlord your only responsibility is to do your due diligence in looking for a leak that you would need to fix. You might want to hire another plumber to investigate and contact the city/water supply company and have then do an inspection also. Get it all in writing on what they find.
2 Reply
Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
4y
Unless the water bill is in your name, this is on them. Have a plumber do an assessment and get their conclusion in writing as evidence that you did your part as a landlord.
1 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Ned J.:

64K gallons.... holy sh*t...... are you 100% sure there isnt an underground leak? There may be an underground leak that isnt obvious. Thats a HUGE difference and I cant see the sprinklers doing that.....
If there is no leak, and its really the tenants doing stupid stuff, then the entire bill is on them..... I'm not paying a dime of it.
So as a landlord your only responsibility is to do your due diligence in looking for a leak that you would need to fix. You might want to hire another plumber to investigate and contact the city/water supply company and have then do an inspection also. Get it all in writing on what they find.

We have had a plumber and sprinkler specialist investigate and I am handy, and an engineer, so I made the repairs and I also verified the meter wasn't moving at all. We also spoke to the water company and they sent someone to verify the meter was working as well. With that much water, the yard should be a swamp and it's not.
0 Reply
Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
4y
Pool next door is leaking? And they're using your water to fill?
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Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:

Pool next door is leaking? And they're using your water to fill?

Hard to know, this was a hot summer. The previous owners of the house said they didn't think the neighbors would do that but you never know.
0 Reply
Ned J.Pro Member
Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
You'd be surprised how much water can leak underground and not be obvious....depends on your soil and where its leaking.
Sounds like you have done your part..... get it all documented in writing and legally its not your problem.
Guess the next step is now that those smaller items have been addressed and its all been inspected..... wait for the next bill....... if the usage is still way high, then your unquestionably have an underground leak.
How big is the bill? If you think it was a sprinkler leak then you could throw them a few $$..... but even then, if they dramatically increased the watering, thats not your fault.
Personally if I did everything possible to inspect the house and the plumbing I supply with the unit and its all good..... then I'm not paying a dime....not my problem
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Ned J.Pro Member
Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Not sure how a neighbor would steal 50k gallons of water and the tenant not have a clue
0 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Ned J.:

You'd be surprised how much water can leak underground and not be obvious....depends on your soil and where its leaking.
Sounds like you have done your part..... get it all documented in writing and legally its not your problem.
Guess the next step is now that those smaller items have been addressed and its all been inspected..... wait for the next bill....... if the usage is still way high, then your unquestionably have an underground leak.
How big is the bill? If you think it was a sprinkler leak then you could throw them a few $$..... but even then, if they dramatically increased the watering, thats not your fault.
Personally if I did everything possible to inspect the house and the plumbing I supply with the unit and its all good..... then I'm not paying a dime....not my problem

Thanks, that is my feeling to but even this post is me trying to do my due diligence. This is clay soil around here so it usually is hard as a rock. It is my plan to check the next bill. I think the bill was around $480 for the 64k gallons. Not big money, it is just the principle and I'm trying to get them to do there part as a tenant and take some responsibility.
0 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Ned J.:

Not sure how a neighbor would steal 50k gallons of water and the tenant not have a clue

They were in Europe for a month they claim. They are young and do not even know how to turn the water off at the main or even inspect and tell me if there is a leak. He's starting to tell me little white lies and get defensive which leads me to believe he knows he doesn't have a case. He tells me he and his brother are smart and we don't need to micromanage them. I guess me showing him how to shut off the water to the sprinklers and tell him to download the manual for the sprinkler controller is micromanaging. I've asked them a few time if they were sure they turned the water off to the sprinklers and if they had turned the sprinkler controller off and he gives me the same attitude. He sends me a photo of water in front of the house and I ask if he turned the sprinklers off as I asked so we could troubleshoot and he tells me it is. I go over to the house and find nothing is turned off. So we turn the sprinklers off and the street dries up. He is just being lazy and seems to have a sense of entitlement. Me being new, I'm trying to be cautions and not spend money where I don't have to but also trying to make sure he has no recourse. They pay on time and other than this, they have been good tenants.
0 Reply
Kevin Liu
Property Manager · Nationwide · Member since 2022 · 67 posts · 21 votes
4y
It is very generous that you are offering to pay for the tenants utilities in the first place. Typically, for single family homes it is ok to assign utilities to under the tenants name, I would get this established on the lease before your next tenant. This way they are more mindful about usage and the bill doesn't fall to you..
I would reach out to the tenant and explain the spiked usage and see if you can schedule someone from your water company to come assess where that monster number may be coming from.
0 Reply
Ahmad H.
Rental Property Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2013 · 136 posts · 101 votes
4y
@Andy Kolb Depending on the age and type of meter, you might be able to request the full water usage data from your water department. I had a $1000+ bill last year and got the full data file, which had a graph showing gallons used for each 4 hour window for the past few months and a line-by-line for water flow each minute. The data helped me figure out that it was an intermittently leaking toilet, got if fixed, and next bill dropped to $120.
1 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Ahmad H.:

@Andy Kolb Depending on the age and type of meter, you might be able to request the full water usage data from your water department. I had a $1000+ bill last year and got the full data file, which had a graph showing gallons used for each 4 hour window for the past few months and a line-by-line for water flow each minute. The data helped me figure out that it was an intermittently leaking toilet, got if fixed, and next bill dropped to $120.

Thanks for the suggestion. Did the water company charge for this service?
0 Reply
Ahmad H.
Rental Property Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2013 · 136 posts · 101 votes
4y
Quote from @Andy Kolb:

Quote from @Ahmad H.:

@Andy Kolb Depending on the age and type of meter, you might be able to request the full water usage data from your water department. I had a $1000+ bill last year and got the full data file, which had a graph showing gallons used for each 4 hour window for the past few months and a line-by-line for water flow each minute. The data helped me figure out that it was an intermittently leaking toilet, got if fixed, and next bill dropped to $120.

Thanks for the suggestion. Did the water company charge for this service?
No, it's free. I've had to request this 3 or 4 times over the years from different cities/counties and was never charged anything extra.
0 Reply
Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
4y
It seems the lease indicates the water costs are the tenants’ responsibility.
We have paid for water leaks that are a result of a leak that tenant would be hard pressed to find prior to receiving a water bill that shows the irregularity. This includes slab leaks and main line leaks.
We do not help with the water bill for easy toilets, broken sprinkler heads, leaks at irrigation valves, etc.
if the meter stops, there is not a slab leak or main line leak. Our tenants would have to pay this water bill.
Good luck
2 Reply
Karen Bickford
Investor · Bolton, MA · Member since 2012 · 133 posts · 72 votes
4y
I had this issue as well and it was the toilet that was leaking. Changed out the guts and it has been fine. It was a phenomenal amount of water that was leaking.
0 Reply
Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
4y
The most likely culprit is a constantly running toilet. You'd be amazed how much water they can waste.
The bill should be in the Tenant's name unless it's a meter shared by multiple units. If it's in their name, it's their responsibility. If it's in your name, it's your responsibility.
In the future, you should require the tenant to take responsibility for all utilities. If you have to keep the utilities in your name for some reason, then your lease should clearly state that utilities are (a) passed through to the tenants, or (b) included in rent but the tenant will be billed for any amount over $XXX.
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0 Reply
Sylvia H.
Member since 2022 · 142 posts · 61 votes
4y
Quote from @Andy Kolb:

Hello All,
This is my first post and I just started investing in single family, long term rental, homes at the beginning of the year.
At what point am I responsible for paying, or paying part of, an excessive water bill? Up until a couple of months ago, the water usage was typical, I think around 8,000 gallons but then it spiked to over 64,000 gallons. The tenants are a couple of young brothers who I'm finding are treating the house as an apartment an do not realize they have some responsibility in maintaining the yard and reporting any leaks or damage. I investigated for any water leaks and only found two sprinkler head pipes were broken. This is a small yard so there are only 3 zones and probably around 15 sprinkler heads. I also found they had adjusted the timing on one zone to 1.5 hours 4 times a week, all of the others are where I set them which was 4 minutes. I made the repairs 2 days after they told me about the broken pipes but they are still asking me to help them with the water bill. I have had a plumber investigate and he found no leaks in the house or meter. 64k gallons is a lot. My only other scenario is the neighbor with the pool may have been borrowing water although I have no proof.
What else do you recommend I do? I think I have done my part and a landlord but I could be wrong, please advise.
Thanks for any advice,
Andy
Wow, that's a big jump. It sounds like you might have a leak underground because that seems odd that the same tenants have lived there with no problem then all of a sudden there is a big jump. You should probably contact the city and tell them you have checked the house for leaks and found nothing. They might be able to have someone from the town come and check it out. You might have a leak in the water coming from the street to the house. There are ways to test this so I would definitely check with the town. If it turns out that it is a leak it would be your responsibility to pay I'm afraid. They are not the owners of the property therefore any leaks as a result of a broken pipe would be your responsibility. Good luck
0 Reply
Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Andy Kolb:

Quote from @Ned J.:

Not sure how a neighbor would steal 50k gallons of water and the tenant not have a clue

They were in Europe for a month they claim. They are young and do not even know how to turn the water off at the main or even inspect and tell me if there is a leak. He's starting to tell me little white lies and get defensive which leads me to believe he knows he doesn't have a case. He tells me he and his brother are smart and we don't need to micromanage them. I guess me showing him how to shut off the water to the sprinklers and tell him to download the manual for the sprinkler controller is micromanaging. I've asked them a few time if they were sure they turned the water off to the sprinklers and if they had turned the sprinkler controller off and he gives me the same attitude. He sends me a photo of water in front of the house and I ask if he turned the sprinklers off as I asked so we could troubleshoot and he tells me it is. I go over to the house and find nothing is turned off. So we turn the sprinklers off and the street dries up. He is just being lazy and seems to have a sense of entitlement. Me being new, I'm trying to be cautions and not spend money where I don't have to but also trying to make sure he has no recourse. They pay on time and other than this, they have been good tenants.

Find out what the next bill is. If it is back to normal, you could offer to pay for part of the overages. With the attitude, when you went over after he said he'd turned the water off, you should have called him on it and said you told me this is off and it isn't. If you do pay for part of the overages, let them know you will not do this again and don't. Just because they are young is no excuse.
I'd also do an inspection in a few months and check things like furnace filters because those are probably not being changed.
0 Reply
Suzanne PlayerPro Member
Attorney · New York City / Long Island, NY · Member since 2020 · 597 posts · 248 votes
4y
Being young is not an excuse for being irresponsible. if they’re old enough to rent a place, then they are promising they’re old enough to be responsible. If they can’t be responsible, why would you renew their lease, even with on time rents? If you don't find the source of the leak, you may end up with massive water & mold damage.
516-503-7959
0 Reply
Herly C.
Rental Property Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2017 · 31 posts · 7 votes
4y
@Andy Kolb could be a non-stop running toilet. I’ve had the misfortune of this incident and the amount of water that was wasted was absurd.
0 Reply
Khalid Bryan
Real Estate Broker · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2018 · 196 posts · 191 votes
4y
@Andy Kolb the bill itself depending on what the lease says, if it’s in their name I would say you are not responsible for in my personal opinion. I’m no lawyer, so I can’t give any legal advice. To determine the source of the high bill if there may be a leak somewhere would be your responsibility and best interest. if the tenant leaves and does not pay the water bill at all, you and your property will be stuck with it, not them.
0 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

The most likely culprit is a constantly running toilet. You'd be amazed how much water they can waste.
The bill should be in the Tenant's name unless it's a meter shared by multiple units. If it's in their name, it's their responsibility. If it's in your name, it's your responsibility.
In the future, you should require the tenant to take responsibility for all utilities. If you have to keep the utilities in your name for some reason, then your lease should clearly state that utilities are (a) passed through to the tenants, or (b) included in rent but the tenant will be billed for any amount over $XXX.

The tenant is responsible for all utilities as is stated in the lease agreement. I'm just making sure I'm not liable beyond making necessary repairs. My post here is part of me doing my due diligence just in case I have missed something in my thought process or legally. Thanks for your reply.
0 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Herly C.:

@Andy Kolb could be a non-stop running toilet. I’ve had the misfortune of this incident and the amount of water that was wasted was absurd.

We replace all faucets and toilets with high quality ones just before they leased the house although I have asked them to let me know if they do have noticed any leaking. But as I mentioned, I looked at the meter for an hour and it wasn't moving. I plan on going over again this weekend to re-inspect just to make sure.
1 Reply
Alex Hochberger
Member since 2022 · 49 posts · 46 votes
4y
It's a grow house. They were not in Europe.
1 Reply
Andy Kolb
OP
Investor · Richmond, TX · Member since 2018 · 12 posts · 2 votes
4y
Quote from @Alex Hochberger:

It's a grow house. They were not in Europe.

Haha, didn't think of that one.
0 Reply

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