Tenant Leaving Water On
I suppose the oldest tenant trick in the book is to deliberately leave hot water running so as to jack up a landlord’s heating costs. Any good advice on how to combat this and document it? I currently have access to the apartment below (but won’t for long) which I assume will help. And I’m…
I suppose the oldest tenant trick in the book is to deliberately leave hot water running so as to jack up a landlord’s heating costs. Any good advice on how to combat this and document it? I currently have access to the apartment below (but won’t for long) which I assume will help. And I’m not the least bit adverse to legal action, but am wondering exactly how to extract proof of the situation.
First off registering is annoying just to post… I run 16 units in Virginia, and have had people do this because they where late on rent and was fined for it, or whatever pissed them off.
First off change your mailing address for that customer or all customers to a Post Office Box, this will require them to mail without a drop off, once you find your douch make their payment always late by a day or two, that is unless they send it a week before, and charge some real fees for being late, not some dumb $25 fee. Hit them with a $95 late fee and $35 admin fee, or something like that.
2nd put a cap into your contract or an average, and send a bill to the each renter in the complex. Watch them hunt down water wasters quick.
Thanks, everybody – some very useful ideas, and I appreciate the input. I think a combination of legal action, a dedicated and monitored water meter, and what bohuma suggests is about the best I can hope for here.
This is a matter for your attorney, you need to take legal action against the tenant. BTW, it is now possible to change the configuration of rental buildings so that tenants are responsible for paying for their own heat and hot water, but you have to reduce their rent. I would follow this course if possible (your attorney will explain the process) as the amount of the rent reduction is not nearly as much as it costs per apartment to provide heat and hot water – you will find it harder to attract good tenants to vacant apartments if you provide expensive to run heating appliances (avoid electric base board heating).
how old is the tenant? if he’s not 62, send him a notice of nonrenewal based upon user occupancy when his lease is up.
He will likely fight it. Then you can magnanimously offer to let him stay if he behaves himself.
it is all sounds like more escalation of the situation with RS client. If you take him to the court for water, he will do something else.
Sounds like your tenant is passive-aggressive. He lives water running for 1-2hours. He goes to court and then pays the rent. Maybe he will get use to idea of not having the roof access and the thing will blow off?
Your tenant is on the floor below you, I assume there is a basement below the tenants apartment.
Bring two dedicated lines (one for hot and the other for cold water) to the tenants apartment.
In the basement, install two sub meters onto the tenants lines (one for the hot water, the other for the cold water). Install a shut off valve on each line, thereby enabling you to shut off the tenants water if it continues to run. You will know that the water is running because you will see the triangle on the sub meter spinning. Keep a log of the meter readings so you will have proof in case the tenants calls the authorities. I am sure when they see the usage they will reprimand the tenant.
The cost of water/sewer charges has risen sharply. It now cost $6.63 for 100 cubic feet of water which is equivalent to 748 gallons.
The tenant can easily run up your bill several thousand dollars per month. Just look at the chart in the below url.
It is unfortunate that you are stuck with this tenant, follow the advice I gave you and you will save yourself lots of grief and money.
Good luck…
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/ways_to_save_water/waterleak_wide.shtml
Mikez: what I said was additional $1,000 to a QUARTERLY bill. I cite that amount from personal experience with young, entitled, NON-rent-regulated tenants who let their toilet run constantly for three months between bills without ever reporting or attempting to remedy the problem. Take a look at DEP’s chart of leaks and their cost. It’s eye-opening: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/ways_to_save_water/waterleak_wide.shtml
Interesting exchange. What I don’t understand are the numbers getting bandied about. I am a single guy, but still, I added up 2/12 YEARS of water bills– roughly $770. I shower ever day. I wash dishes. I even had a contractor who once was running the water constantly for nearly a month. I don’t understand claims of $1000 a month water bills for a single tenant.
mikez
put a sub meter on his water line to document his actual usage compared to the whole. Done in small mixed use buildings for billing purposes. Easier to prove than photos…