Tenant Pays Water Bill?
Hi, I have finally found a rental apartment, but the landlord is including some unusual lease provisions in the rider. The most worrisome of these is a provision regarding the water bill. The apartment building contains 5 apartments, all two or three bedrooms, with W/D hook ups and dishwashers. The tenant must agree to assume…
Hi,
I have finally found a rental apartment, but the landlord is including some unusual lease provisions in the rider. The most worrisome of these is a provision regarding the water bill. The apartment building contains 5 apartments, all two or three bedrooms, with W/D hook ups and dishwashers. The tenant must agree to assume 1/5 of the amount of any water bill exceeding $400 per quarter.
Are there any landlords of multi-family dwellings out there that have an opinion on whether the building is likely to exceed $400 per quarter in water bills? And by how much? I don’t want to make a big deal of this if it isn’t likely to be a problem, but we will already be paying our own heat/hot water, so I need to keep the bills under control.
Many thanks.
hmmm, I thought it was illegal to ask a residential tenant to pay water bills in NYC but what do I know.
Is there a garden apartment? Expect the bills to jump in the summer when watering the plants.
Hey, thank you so much for your detailed responses – it is much appreciated, as I have no experience with water bills.
Sorry, Arkady, you are right. I meant $300. I am always mixing up zeros.
You can review past water bills at: http://nycserv.nyc.gov/NYCServWeb/NYCSERVMain
In our multiple dwelling, the very normal, average bill PER UNIT (if figured that way) is now approaching, but not yet exceeding $100/qtr. for an apartment like the one you describe (2-3 bedrooms, W/D, DW, building just under $400/qtr.). $30/qtr.?…not even if you recycle rain and greywater. As R9 said, rates have jumped recently, and continue to do so. In a 5-unit building, there is a very good chance that your LLs bill already exceeds $400/qtr.
There’s absolutely no reason why you should absorb the cost of water at all (already figured into your lease), and certainly not the cost of the LL’s responsibility for a fixture or water main break, or the cost created by another tenant who fails to report a leaking fixture. (In our case, a tenant who failed to report a constantly running toilet added $1000 to just one quarter’s bill.) If you’re otherwise happy with the apartment, revise the rider to read $100 or $125 per apt./per quarter ($500-$625 total), and include language that releases you from specific leaks, breaks and damage. You have a right to negotiate the rider (not to mention the lease). The LL has the right to refuse to negotiate, and tell you take it or leave it.
Mopar – My building has 2 units – dishwasher & washer/dryer in each – one older couple, one young one w/ a toddler. Water bill is close to $260 per quarter for the building – a lot more than $30.
Snowbunny, it would be unusual if the bill were more than $30 per apartment per quarter. However, the trick here is that if it were, there would either be a massive leak or the tenant would be purposefully leaving all the fixtures running 24/7.
I’d prefer the landlord feel the pain of the cost of a leak rather than a tenant, since it’s the landlord’s responsibility to fix it. Also, you can just call the utility (google NYC water and sewer) and ask. If they want to know why, explain you’re about to move in and take over the bill.
I think you might be able to check NYC.gov website and find water bills for the property.
The water rates have jumped in recent years, one 4fam I own has gone from about 200 per quarter to 350 – 400 per quarter.
My perspective on this: who wants to do the accounting with tenants over a few dollars every quarter? I prefer not to get my tenants directly involved with such details as it over complicates what should be a simple full service relationship. The next question would be, if the bill is under 400 per quarter, where is the prorated rebate to the tenants? You find this more in commercial leases, but migrating terms like this to residential leases is just a way of off loading the responsibility of managing the property.
Personally, I would pass, and explain to the ll that while potentially minor, it’s a deal breaker because of what it might indicate about other future interactions. It is just not that hard to find a good apartment with a straightforward lease.