The Lakewood Water District is proposing to stop the practice of signing up tenants for water service.
What does this mean for you?
If you are a landlord, the account will remain in your name. If you are a tenant that is already established, the account will remain in your name. Once the established tenant moves out, the account will stay in the property owner’s name indefinitely. The District is governed by the Revised Code Of Washington, and Title 57, Chapter 57.08.081 states the property owner is the responsible party for the water bill. For owners, this can be beneficial as landlords will no longer be billed a vacancy bill in between tenants. The District will not be involved in settling tenant/landlord disputes. The District will have the ability to send a copy of the bill to the tenant at the property address and the tenant will have the ability to pay the bill, however the property owner will be the responsible party to ensure the bill is paid.
Why is Lakewood Water District considering this change in practice?
It has become evident that the management of tenant accounts has become very difficult to manage and costly to the District. The elimination of allowing tenants to sign up for service will significantly decrease the amount of service disconnections performed as well as liens filed on properties. The advancement in technology, such as the ability to check for possible leaks, take readings, as well as other forms of information we can provide our customers in real time from the office, has increased the frequency and duration of calls. This will also allow staff more time to offer assistance in other departments where needed and will provide more time for cross training our staff. It will free up field technicians time to allow for more training.
How and when will this be implemented?
First, we will schedule an open house at the District and invite all property owners and property management companies to attend to present more information and to provide answers to any questions. The District will then notify all property owners and property management companies if and when this change will take place. If approved by the Board, tenant accounts will remain in place until the tenant moves out. Once the tenant moves out, the account will go back to the property owners name and remain there indefinitely.
FAQ’s
Can you send my tenant a copy of the bill?
Yes, a copy of the bill can be sent directly to the tenant at the property owner’s request.
What if my tenant doesn’t pay the bill?
You as the owner will be notified by mail, phone, and email (if provided) that the bill has gone unpaid. It will be the property owner’s responsibility to make sure the bill gets paid. The disconnect process will not change. If the bill remains unpaid, the water will be disconnected and will not be restored until all charges and fees are paid in full.
Will my tenant have access to my account?
Anyone can request a usage report including charges from anyone’s account through the public disclosure process. This, however, does not include any personal information.
Will water be turned off when my tenant moves out?
Not unless it is requested by the owner. Otherwise, water will stay on and will be billed as usual. This will prevent any vacancy bills from generating.
What if my tenant overuses water and creates a large bill?
It will be the responsibility of the property owner to manage their tenant’s usage. The District provides a customer portal where usage can be tracked, and alerts can be set.
How will I charge my tenant for the water?
The District will be able to send the tenant a copy of the bill at the property owner’s request, however, it will be the property owner’s responsibility to ensure the bill gets paid.
*If you would like to email the District and share your thoughts, please email csweb@lakewoodwater.org. We will be collecting comments until June 6, 2022.
Open House Recordings from May 25, 2022.
