Renters charged for water, sewage and trash (apartments, lease, tenant)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Got notified this week that our complex is going to start charging renters for water, sewer and trash, using outside company that monitors the use and bills the complex for it. It's my understanding that the water bill will be divided up equally based on 100% Factored Occupancy basis (less 5% for common area deduction). I take that to mean that, for example, if there are 200 units, the bill would be divided equally by 200. This doesn't seem fair because obviously you could have a single person not using as much water as say a family of 4. Have any of you had any experience with this and does this seem fair (or even legal)?
It seems to me if you are on a lease that states they are responsible for water/sewer/trash, they cannot charge you until the lease ends. Or it gives you an out to break the lease without penalty as they are reneging on lease terms. Read your lease carefully and see what it says in regards to utilities. Also check out the first sticky/post in this forum for the laws in your state.
But that is an incredibly unfair way of doing it. At most they need to install meters for every apartment if they want to charge it or charge a flat rate of per occupancy etc. Something to agree to before moving in. (that's how it was done for me at a few places)
Factored occupancy usually takes family size into account (it's factoring in the occupancy of each unit). So a family of 4 is usually assumed to be using more water than someone who lives by themselves, and will be charged 4 times as much as the single occupancy apartments.
This isn't always fair, because a household of one or two is capable of using more water than a household of four, but it's more fair than just charging each apartment the same amount.
As to whether it is legal, this form of metering itself is. But, it may not be in this case. Do you have a lease? If you do, your landlord may not be able to terms of it during the middle of its term without both parties agreeing to it.
If they are dividing by number of units, I wouldn't be ok with that. If they were dividing by total number of occupants and then multiplying by occupants in your unit, that would be more fair (but as new people move in and out, that would be a lot of bookkeeping every month). But both are most likely legal.
But I agree, they can only change this on you if you are not in a lease, or are month to month, or if your lease is about to expire. They can't change it mid-lease.
As for whether it is fair to charge those items to tenants, we charge them on almost every unit. Power, gas, water, sewer, trash as well as the optional utilities, internet, phone and tv, are all always a tenant expense. But then, we rent almost all houses or separately metered duplexes, so there is no "dividing up the bill", it is just "you use it, you pay for it". In my experience, these items are not typically charged to tenants on apartment units because they aren't metered separately.
Its common and this is the kind of thing that can change regardless of lease terms, like tax changes they only have to provide 30 days notice maybe more based on the state. They divide by occupants not by units so just pay your share and be happy you don't have to worry about a separate bill.
I do have a one year lease which is up Sept 1, so I won't be billed until Oct 1. Those people who are month to month were sent a 30 days change in terms notification. Those people who have recently moved in are on a regular lease and so they lucked out and won't be billed until their lease is up. Month to month leases are not going to be extended and everyone who has one will soon be given a 30 day notice to come in and sign a regular lease (3-6- or 12 month).
I appreciate the definition of factored occupancy basis, that makes more sense than what the gal in the office told me and is at least a little more fair. Looks like we'll have to pay for the water usage for those who have current leases....also another issue is that one doesn't know how much to budget for since the water bill could vary greatly from month to month I would imagine. Quite a few of us are on fixed income here so I hope they give us more clarification on this. And alot of people here (especially those of us who have lived here a long time)are very upset about the confusing communications we are receiving. Unfortunately I know the "game" and management doesn't care if we move out because then they will upgrade the older units and charge even more rent than they do now. And since I live in a very highly desirable area of the country, the rents are skyrocketing everywhere here.
It's a trend and as others have said... moving may be the only solution.
No one likes open ended arrangements... at least no one I know does.
The potential for abuse and accident is high for metered services.
Local utilities have offered master meter conversion assistance at different times... mostly for gas and electric.
Trash really is in a different catagory... my city will only bill owners... it's up to the owner to pass the bill on as a separate line item or include it in the rent.
Water is the real wildcard here... fees and penalties can be huge... having a water meter with service also includes sewage and the base charge before a single drop of water flows is $65 a month... Plus a new meter fee can be $5,000 to $10,000 per hookup... seldom ever pays as a retrofit.
Almost every unit I have ever managed has individual gas and electric... even if I had to install them.
Most of the smaller buildings... even duplexes have separate water meters which can be quite a shock to someone not accustomed to paying water bills... the reason is the water bill with very little use is often much more than gas and electric.
Good Luck.... think I really would start looking for a different arrangement/place
After speaking with another tenant here, I looked up the company and it has a huge amount of complaints, terrible service record, and even a potential class action suit against it. Boy, we are all in for a huge amount of stress with this. When I retired I knew I would have to leave this area due to high COL, taxes, etc. but this has really put it on the front burner now. I may have to stick with this place another year until I can get a big move like this coordinated. I looked at the water meters, there seems to be one kind of buried in a little plot next to each building but there are no state identifying stickers or anything on the meter like their should be. I think this is going to turn into a real mess. A new management company took over a few weeks ago so all this change is happening very fast.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
