Re: Tenants not paying water bill - Landlord Forum thread 239794

Re: Tenants not paying water bill by Anonymous on November 6, 2011 @15:55

You need to provide them with your state's cure or quit notice to cure the lease violation of not paying the utility accounts. Your state's LL/T will tell you exactly how many days you must allow to cure. I would not pay the bill, but would instruct the water company to shut off the service. If they haven't paid the bill within the c/q period, you need to evict based on this material breach of the rental agreement. You can deduct the water bill from their SD, along with any other damages and unpaid rent, after you have evicted them.

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Re: Tenants not paying water bill by Anonymous on November 6, 2011 @17:14	[ Reply ]

In my state (CA), it is illegal to have the water shut off if tenants are in residence. Also in my state, if your tenants don't pay the water bill, you are on the hook for it or the water district will put a lien on your house.

Re: Tenants not paying water bill by Anonymous on November 7, 2011 @10:41	[ Reply ]

In my state, if the bill comes in the tenant's name and the tenant is resonsible for the utility under the lease agreement, the utility company is free to shut of service is the bill goes unpaid. This is not a constructive eviction by the LL because the LL is not the utility provider, as he would be if the lease were "all bills paid".