Southern California

SoCal Landlords Call For Change in Water Bills Amid Historic Drought

Some tenants saw it as a way for landlords to work around rent control laws.

In the midst of a crippling statewide drought, some landlords responsible for tenants' water bills in Southern California were suggesting tenants paid their own bills as an incentive to conserve water.

Not everyone agreed, including Roberta Morris who showed NBC4 around her apartment at her rent-controlled Los Feliz complex to make a point.

Although the landlord paid for her water, Morris was adamant she conserved every precious drop of the H2O.

"I'm a conservationist extraordinaire," she said.

Morris wasn't the majority, according to James Clarke from The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles--A trade group for landlords.

"We're just not seeing it," he said.

After months of screaming headlines in the media about drastic drought conditions, Clarke said, renters who didn't have to pay their own water bills had no incentive to save it.

Clarke also alleged that the water bills landlords picked up have increased by double digits.

The association called for rent-controlled complexes like Morris' to have water meters installed, run by outside companies. This would allow tenants to be billed individually and take the responsibility of the water bill off the landlord.

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Morris saw it a different way.

"That mean's there's a rent increase and I have to budget for it," she said.
Her suggestions for landlords who wanted to decrease their water bills included installing drought-friendly landscaping or grey water recycling systems.

"The most effective way of turning this around is not downloading your cost of water on the tenant." she said.

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