Landlord-tenant hell: water fight!
We’ve been troubled by too much water this spring. We had two floods,
a water line break, and then summer flash flooding.
We’ve had a lot of water in the wrong place this year. But, landlords complain about water in the wrong place, too. That place is coming out of the tap at their rentals. I hear complaints that tenants “take hour-long showers,” as if they are doing this just to hurt the landlord.
Water does not come cheap. Landlords are obligated to pay the water bill for their rentals. Tenants are not obligated to conserve water. The battle lines are drawn!
Landlords, do you wish you could ask on a reference check, “Does the tenant take long showers?” “Does she like to wash her car?” “Does he intend to water the lawn daily?”
Tenants, do you have the right to use all the water you need, whenever you want it? Have you had a landlord complain about your water use or restrict you from gardening or washing your car?
Here's the facts, in 1991, the water bill for average consumption was $443; in 2009 it was $1196. (link page 8) The cost is not even, from town to town, either. Water and sewer bills, for average consumption range from below $500 a year to almost $2000, depending on the town. How does your town stack up with other towns regarding your water and sewer bills? (link page 9)
Some towns allow separate metering of your irrigation water (which does not use the sewer system and saves sewer charges.) The water for lawns, gardening, cleaning the car, or filling to pool is not charged sewer rates in 38 towns in the MWRA district. This could make outdoor water less onerous to pay for.
Have you had a water issue with your tenant or your landlord? Do tenant really go out of their way to waste water? Tenants, have you ever been asked not to use outdoor water?
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