WATER METER - Landlord Forum thread

WATER METER by Denise Peterson (NEW YORK) on June 22, 2012 @12:03

New L.L. With duplex using common water meter for upper and lower. As L.L. I am paying water bill, can I have water company reconfigure plumbing and meter, so that tenants pays their own water bill? Thanks all,

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Re: WATER METER by Jake on June 22, 2012 @12:10	[ Reply ]

It is probably best to ask the water company about the possibility of two meters. There will be a considerable expense for this and you may find yourself still liable for unpaid water. An existing tenant will strongly object to this conversion. Unless the tenants are month to month you will most likely have to wait for the lease to expire.

Re: WATER METER by Nicole (PA) on June 22, 2012 @12:20	[ Reply ]

in my area, you would have to hire your own plumber and much of the interior plumbing (behind the walls and in the cellar) will have to be redone. It is VERY expensive. I recently split utilities in an occupied property. while I didn't tell them outright, they know when leases renew there will be changes. i expect them all to stay but to move out when they see how much they really use each month - a little bit of thrift goes a long way but people who go to work and leave the lights and tv on and the ac cranked up aren't going to change their habits - they'll just move somewhere else.

Re: WATER METER by OK-LL on June 22, 2012 @18:40	[ Reply ]

I split water utility on a duplex last year and it was about $1K to have the city bring a new water line from a Y they installed to a new meter. Existing plumbing remained to serve one side of the duplex. I hired the trenching out separately and it ran a couple of hundred. So not that big an expense and you get rid of the headache of charging tenants for a split water bill or including it in the rental amount.

Re: WATER METER by Douglas (KS) on June 22, 2012 @20:09	[ Reply ]

Read about submetering and RUBS (Ratio Utility Billing System). May be a lot cheaper.

Re: WATER METER

Re: WATER METER by Eric (MN) on June 22, 2012 @23:55	[ Reply ]

Include the water in the rent. The water bill will be yours anyway if they do not pay. Save the trouble now, and the expense of splitting it.

Re: WATER METER