Just moving to Pittsburgh and it’s my first time renting. I tried to get my own PWSA account set up, so I put in an online application. I don’t have an account number, but I called PWSA and the lady said I could use my landlord’s account number to pay the bill until my account is switched over (4-6 weeks). Does this sound right? Just making sure this is normal I guess. I checked the bill online already and it looks like there’s an outstanding bill due from the 22nd. And is it normally billed monthly, quarterly, etc? We’re moving in Jan. 1. Thanks for any help.

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Affectionate_Crab773 t1_j2e1izw wrote on December 31, 2022 at 3:55 PM

Definitely not right! (I am a landlord here.) Most landlords in Pgh pay for the tenants water bills. If yours doesn't, you should set up your own account.

jesscatt OP t1_j2exk4t wrote on December 31, 2022 at 7:33 PM

I’m trying to set up the account, but the PWSA lady said it’ll take 4-6 weeks. I’ll call the housing management company Monday and double check everything.

PlasticReaction421 t1_j2dzlhd wrote on December 31, 2022 at 3:41 PM

That doesn't sound right at all. For one, I never rented anywhere in Pittsburgh where the tenant was responsible for paying water and sewer. And two, when I bought my house, it absolutely did not take 4-6 weeks to put the bill in my name. It takes like, a day, unless something has drastically changed. Rental utilities are specifically set up so they're easy to switch back and forth between tenants and landlords and back to new tenants, it shouldn't be complicated at all. And I don't think you should ever be using your landlord's account number directly.

chuckie512 t1_j2erntq wrote on December 31, 2022 at 6:52 PM

Usually landlords don't want tennants having water in their name, because if they don't pay a lean goes against the house.

It takes a lot more to get your water cut off then other utilities so that lean can get pretty high. It's usually easier to budget it into the rent.

Sweaty_Motor2790 t1_j2elasi wrote on December 31, 2022 at 6:09 PM

A tenant can be added to the owner's account via this form. Basically, the owner has a "master account" and can see if the bill is being paid, etc. The tenant get's a copy of the bill in their name to their address.

https://www.pgh2o.com/sites/default/files/2019-12/Change%20of%20Address%20OwnerTenant%20-%20fillable.pdf

Owners typically pay the water bill because:

The water lines aren't split so there are not separate meters per unit
It's the only utility for which the City of Pittsburgh can put a lien on your property if unpaid. So the owner gets stuck with any unpaid balance.

If the tenant has his/her own meter, using the above owner/tenant form allows an owner to get visibility into whether or not the water bill is being paid.

If I was an owner, I'd have the tenant pay for their water and include a clause in the lease that if they are delinquent on PWSA for x days or are delinquent x times, their lease will be terminated but they will still have to pay the remainder of the lease term.

Otherwise, people just don't care about their water usage.

jumpaix t1_j2eg30t wrote on December 31, 2022 at 5:35 PM

So I've been renting in Pittsburgh for about 15 years now and have moved a ton and there's definitely an uptick in landlords having the tenant pay the water bill. This didn't feel like the norm at all when I moved here.

My current and past landlord required we pay it and I sorted out a system with them where basically i am either getting a copy of the bill and mailing the water company my payment or sending the landlord the money when they pay the bill.

The 4 - 6 week transfer is standard but I believe if you're not the house owner the actual owner needs to show you are a tenant since they are the proprietor (could be wrong about that). To avoid footing one of your landlord's overdue bills you'll have to work something out with them, but my experience with this trend is it is sloppy and the landlords often don't want to put in the effort that is needed to do this cleanly, even though they don't want to pay the water bill.

mira_lee2 t1_j2f8mtg wrote on December 31, 2022 at 8:53 PM

I agree. It's becoming more common here to pay the water and sewer. I'm paying for it for the first time after moving to a new apartment last year. But the account is kept in the landlord's name and I receive a copy to pay for my usage.