In your situation the cost was likely built in and your were paying more than it cost. If you ever exceeded the cost, your agreement would have changed.
Your situation is increasingly less common…it’s basically a legacy thing where landlords don’t have separate meters for their tenants.
I don’t think they had any meters on individual units, they had no way of knowing who was using what, so no basis to change the agreement. I’m not saying it’s common, I’m just saying it’s a situation that exists.
I think u/MyMindIsLikeAnOcean’s point was that the landlord would change things if the cost got high enough. For example, water usage of $10K per month would prompt the landlord to get those meters added.
I mean it was, just not for me. It was a townhome in a row of connected townhomes with an HOA. Water was paid by the HOA, and an estimate was budgeted into the HOA fee, which was passed on to me through rent. The point is that what I paid was not affected by my usage.
Not for me though. Using no water at all would not have decreased my payment. Using 10x as much as normal would not have increased my payment. I did not have the option to opt out of or reduce the HOA fee.
Functionally, that’s “free”, so far as it affects usage habits. Kinda like universal healthcare, “free” at point of service.
At my last place water was included with rent. Technically not free, but not metered, so using more didn’t cost more.
In your situation the cost was likely built in and your were paying more than it cost. If you ever exceeded the cost, your agreement would have changed.
Your situation is increasingly less common…it’s basically a legacy thing where landlords don’t have separate meters for their tenants.
Was going to say- I’ve always had to open my own account with the water company to provide water to my apartment. Definitely not folded in.
I don’t think they had any meters on individual units, they had no way of knowing who was using what, so no basis to change the agreement. I’m not saying it’s common, I’m just saying it’s a situation that exists.
I think u/MyMindIsLikeAnOcean’s point was that the landlord would change things if the cost got high enough. For example, water usage of $10K per month would prompt the landlord to get those meters added.
Our more likely, raise everyone’s rent to cover the excessive water use.
Where is water not metered??
I mean it was, just not for me. It was a townhome in a row of connected townhomes with an HOA. Water was paid by the HOA, and an estimate was budgeted into the HOA fee, which was passed on to me through rent. The point is that what I paid was not affected by my usage.
Right so the water was meteted and being paid for–it wasn’t free.
Not for me though. Using no water at all would not have decreased my payment. Using 10x as much as normal would not have increased my payment. I did not have the option to opt out of or reduce the HOA fee.
Functionally, that’s “free”, so far as it affects usage habits. Kinda like universal healthcare, “free” at point of service.
Whatever you say bud.
The same thing I’ve said from the beginning?
If you’re on a well, it’s just a small electrical expenditure
If you’re not, it’s just a small water bill expenditure. None of which are free.