Who is responsible in a rental situation for an increased water bill caused by a broken sprinkler?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Who is responsible in a rental situation for an increased water bill caused by a broken sprinkler?
I own a rental property and last month my tenant called me to tell me that he just got home and it looked like there was a broken sprinker line in the backyard. I went over within 1/2 hour to turn off the water to the yard. Now he has a high water bill. Who’s responsible? The agreement says the tenant is responsible to the water bill and I felt like I had the problem resolved in a timely matter.
Asked on September 4, 2012 under Real Estate Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
As landlord, you are responsible for maintenance and repairs, unless and only to the extent the damage or problem was caused by something the tenant did. Therefore, unless the tenant damaged the sprinkler line, you would be responsible for the tenant's costs or other losses, such as a high water bill, resultinig from a damaged line.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.