Houston apartment tenants frustrated by ongoing dispute over water bill

More than half of Houston residents are renters, many living in apartment complexes scattered throughout the city. For those who pay their water bills to their landlord rather than directly to the water company, disputing bill discrepancies can be a complex and frustrating process.

Inaccurate water billing for tenants

KPRC 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis has been studying water billing issues for years as part of her ongoing “DRAINED” investigation. Her work has led to significant changes for residential customers, but many of those changes do not apply to renters.

Davis explains that unless your apartment complex has a submeter, there’s no way to track your exact water usage each month. According to the Texas Administrative Code, landlords have only two legal methods to determine a tenant’s monthly water bill. But if you believe you’re being overcharged, correcting the bill can be a daunting task.

Kembrae Sanders’ battle with water bills

Kembrae Sanders, a renter from Houston, found herself in exactly that predicament. After her son went off to college, she lived alone in a 1,000-square-foot apartment and had consistently paid between $53 and $63 on her monthly water bill for the past decade. But in April, her bill unexpectedly rose to $123.

When Sanders inquired with the housing authority about the increase, she was told it was due to a tax increase by the City of Houston. But when she contacted the third-party billing company that handled the assigned bills, she hit an impasse. Both the housing authority and the billing company refused to provide detailed explanations because Sanders was not their direct customer—her landlord was.

The complications in apartments without underground meters

In Texas, landlords of apartments that are not connected to a dual meter can divide the complex’s entire water bill among tenants using a formula based on the number of residents, the square footage of each unit, or a combination of both.

Landlords are required by law to disclose to tenants the formula they use, the total water bill for the complex, and the amount charged to all tenants.

Sanders’ landlord, Green Arbor Apartments, did not provide that information. Instead, it based her bills on an outdated occupancy figure of three people, even though Sanders had told them two years earlier that only she and her son were staying in the apartment.

Sanders was upset by the inaccurate bill and asked why she was being charged for three people. Management’s response was dismissive, offering neither a correction to the bill nor compensation.

Seeking a solution through the Public Utility Commission

After receiving no satisfactory response from her landlord or the billing company, Sanders filed a complaint with the Public Utility Commission (PUC). The PUC has the authority to enforce government regulations. A few days after her complaint, Sanders’ $111 bill was mysteriously reduced to $30.77 without any explanation.

For renters like Sanders, every dollar counts, especially when they have to run a household on a tight budget. Sanders, a mother with a child in college, was relieved to see the reduced bill but remains concerned about the lack of transparency.

What tenants can do

If you suspect your water bill is incorrect from your landlord and they refuse to show you how they calculated the cost, it is imperative that you file a complaint with the PUC’s Customer Protection Division. This step could potentially save you from overpaying and hold those responsible accountable.

KPRC 2’s “DRAINED” investigation lasted 2 years

The KPRC 2 “DRAINED” investigation is working to bring you results. You may know that in May, seven people were charged in a water main repair scandal after Amy Davis exposed shady contracting. This came after the entire Houston Water Department changed the way it bills Houston customers. Customers will be billed average amounts until it is confirmed they have working meter sensors. More information on the plan can be found here.

Add to that all the money Amy and her team have already recovered for customers with high and confusing water bills.

RELATED: Don’t forget the defendants after Amy’s investigation into shady city contracts

Need help with your water bill? Email Investigator Amy Davis and Producer Andrea Slaydon at [email protected].