Rental Property Water Bills

Rental property water bills can be a challenge! As a property manager in Grand Rapids we know that the water stays with the property, not the tenant. That means if the tenant moves and doesn’t pay their water bill, then you (the owner) must pay it.
To counter this, make sure in your lease that the tenant is responsible for paying the water. Have a clause that states all payments get applied to any outstanding bills and lastly to the rent.  Make sure your lawyer approves this as we cannot guarantee any legal advice.  Keep the water in your name and bill the tenant every three months when you get the water bill.
MAKE SURE that you prorate the water at the end of the lease and charge the tenant.  Make sure you prorate the first billing cycle when you have a new tenant. Send an invoice to the tenant with the actual water bill and make sure the tenant pays the landlord directly.  A property management company in Grand Rapids will do this all for you.
MOST cities in West Michigan and elsewhere have laws in place so that the water stays with the property, not the tenant.  That means if the tenant moves and doesn’t pay their water bill, then you (the owner) must pay it.
Water bills don’t have to be challenging with your rental property. Make sure you have an organized system in place and have a good checks and balances! Most importantly, bill your tenant! You could be losing out on thousands of dollars a year!
At Simple Property Management, in Grand Rapids MI, we review every single water bill. We have a database that we check and then we bill the tenant if needed. We have a pre-written email that we can duplicate and send to the tenant with a copy of the water bill. It takes a little time, but is worth it in the end. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us!

If you would like a free rental assessment, contact us today!


Simple Property Management is a leading Grand Rapids property management company and specializes in working with property owners with one to 30 rental units. You can contact us at 616-329-6318 or info@simplepmgroup.com