The KPRC 2 ‘DRAINED’ Investigation is helping people get to the bottom of water bill issues in Houston. Investigator Amy Davis has gotten questions from renters about high water bills. In most cases, the resident is not the water customer. The Houston water customer is the landlord or property owner. They receive the bill and then divvy it up between all of the tenants. That can make it difficult to know if you are being billed for the amount of water you are using. Here’s a way to determine what you actually owe for your water bill.
How landlords determine what to charge for water bills
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If your apartment complex isn’t submetered for water, that means the complex only gets one bill for the entire property. The Texas Commission on Enviromental Quality rules says those complexes can charge all tenants the same amount for water and just add that amount onto your rent each month. If your complex does this, the amount of you owe each month shouldn’t change. If the landlord decides to split the bill between the tenants by estimating how much water each uses, the code allows him or her to do that in one of 3 ways.
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Three Ways your Apartment can bill you for water
- Landlords can charge you based on the number of people who live in your apartment
- They can charge you based on the square footage in your apartment.
- They can measure just the hot water going into your apartment to estimate how much total water you’re using.
The landlord must tell you which formula they’re using to calculate your water bill each month.
“Submetered” or “allocated” water billing
Here’s what the Public Utility Commission’s website says about submetered or allocated billing methods. The local public utility measures water uses for the whole property at a “master” meter and then bills the property owner based on the master meter reading. Then:
- Under submetered billing, the owner uses submeters at each dwelling unit to bill tenants for water and sewer services based on their actual water usage.
- Under allocated billing, the owner does not meter each dwelling unit, but uses a formula to allocate water and sewer utility charges among the tenants.
The charges billed by the owner are based on the bill received from the public utility for water and sewer services provided to the owner.
Owners of the following types of properties are allowed to bill their tenants for the actual cost of water or sewer service provided by the local utility:
- Apartments;
- Manufactured home rental communities;
- Condominiums; and
- Strip malls, marinas, and other multiple-use facilities.
Owners who submeter or allocate utility bills must follow PUC rules.
Landlord or apartment owner must tell you how they are charging for water
When presenting a rental agreement, the property owner must provide the tenant with a free copy of the rules on utility allocation [Texas Administrative Code, Title 16 (16 TAC), Chapter 24, Subchapter I], or a copy of the summary of the rules for tenants, prepared by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). Rules require the property owner provide the tenant with specific information about their bills and include disclosures about billing practices in the rental agreement.
Can landlord change the way tenants are billed?
The PUC says no, not unless:
• The owner gives the tenant notice of the proposed change at least 35 days prior to implementing the new method,
• The tenant’s existing lease expired, or the tenant is willing to sign a new lease before the current lease expires, and
• The tenant agreed to the change by signing a lease or other written agreement.
Check here for more information on the renter rules for utility bills.
The TCEQ rule entitles renters to see the last 12 months of water bills if they ask for them. Using the complex’s water bill and the formula provided by your landlord, you can check to make sure you are only paying for the water you likely used.
If you’re apartment management office refuses to show you the last 12 water bills and discuss the issue with you, print out the rule (TCEQ Rules Chapter 291- Utility Regulations, Subchapter H) of this code that explains your rights as a renter and take it with you to the office.
In our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation we’ve told you how to fight a water bill you don’t think you owe. But if you are a renter, you have to go through your landlord or apartment complex if you have questions about billing. If you have a question about your water bills, email Investigator Amy Davis.