Tenant is left bewildered after they realize that their landlord might be shutting off their hot water whenever they take long showers: ‘He never denied [it]’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Nov 11, 2025 10:00 AM EST

In a lot of apartment buildings or multiple-family homes, heat and hot water are often included in rental costs. This is mostly because of the fact that the building might not have separate water heaters, and therefore, they cannot divvy up the water usage of each tenant honestly. This is a lifesaver for most, especially because water costs can add up very quickly. What a tenant doesn't expect, however, is their landlord or superintendent micromanaging their hot water usage, so much so that they begin shutting the tenant's hot water off whenever they please.

The tenant in the story below is dealing with this exact issue. To be clear, they have not confirmed whether or not their landlord is actually shutting off the hot water running through their apartment, but they haven't denied it when confronted.

Twice now has this happened to the tenant, and even after a text confrontation where they asked what they could do to stop this from happening, they have found no resolution. Long showers are normal, especially if you're taking an "everything" shower that includes hair-washing, shaving, and the rest of your showerly duties. Have your landlords ever micromanaged your utilities before? Scroll below to share your story.

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  • 01
    shower in a bathroom
    via kevin Baquerizo for Unsplash
  • 02

    "Landlord turns off our hot water if he thinks we're showering for too long"

    EDIT for all the braniacs that have deduced that I just ran out of hot water, here's a few details that I should have included in the original post: -when I shower for a long time when he is not home, the hot water does not abruptly shut off.
    via EJ9utah
  • 03
    -not every shower I take is 20 minutes. The long showers are rare and only happen when I need to take a long shower, such as when I'm shaving my pubes.
    via EJ9utah
  • 04
    I like to take my time with delicate matters. -This has happened twice, where I've been showering (for around 20mins) and the water pipes make an audible shifting sound, then I notice an intense decrease in water pressure (probably 80%), and the water instantly turns ice. cold.
    via EJ9utah
  • 05
    He turned it back on, then off again, which is how I know it wasn't just water running out.
    via EJ9utah
  • 06
    -the first time it happened, my landlord also stomped the ground (our ceiling) like a toddler right after turning it off, then called me and ranted for 20 more minutes.
    via EJ9utah
  • 07
    Also, he never denied turning my water off. Location: Utah Me and my wife live in my landlord's basement apartment.
    via EJ9utah
  • 08
    This has happened twice now. While showering and without warning, our landlord will turn off our hot water around the 20 minute mark of a shower.
    via EJ9utah
  • 09
    The first time, he gave these reasons: showering too late in the day (around midnight), the shower makes a loud noise in his room, we used all the hot water.
    via EJ9utah
  • 10
    None of these rules or stipulations are mentioned in the lease contract. The second time however, I showered around 7:10pm.
    via EJ9utah
  • 11
    Again, after about 20 minutes the hot water abruptly shut off without warning, citing my showers taking too long, and all the hot water is gone.
    via EJ9utah
  • 12
    I'll try to attach a screenshot either to this post or in the comments of our text conversation.
    via EJ9utah
  • 13
    There is a stipulation in the lease agreement that "either party can terminate the lease at any time as long as a 30 days notice is given to the other party" that's paraphrasing but I can find the exact wording if I need to.
    via EJ9utah
  • 14
    We're afraid if we start responding to him with "well according to Utah law code, etc etc" he will just become upset and terminate the lease.
    via EJ9utah
  • 15
    In case it matters, we get the impression he may suffer from Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder.
    via EJ9utah
  • 16
    He does not handle criticism or confrontation very well at all. I'm just wondering what my rights are and how you all think we should proceed.
    via EJ9utah
  • 17
    We really like this apartment and don't want to get ourselves evicted. Edit: It seems like I can't add pictures for some reason?
    via EJ9utah
  • 18
    Unless I don't understand how to, then someone can tell me. Here is a word for word transcript (with names removed) of our text conversation during the second incident: Me: Hey [landlord's name], is something wrong with the water?
    via EJ9utah
  • 19
    My shower just went cold Landlord: You're taking really long showers. Me: Yes, I needed to shave my body which takes a little longer.
    via EJ9utah
  • 20
    three blue shaving razors against a pink background
    via Pavel Avakumov for Unsplash
  • 21
    Sorry about that. Me: We have made sure not to shower after 9pm, per your request.
    via EJ9utah
  • 22
    When would be an appropriate time to shower so I can do all that I need to do in there?
    via EJ9utah
  • 23
    Landlord: It's not so much the time, it's the length and you're going through all the hot water.
    via EJ9utah
  • 24
    Me: So just so I'm understanding right, is there a time limit for each shower? What would you recommend if I need to use the shower for a longer amount of time?
    via EJ9utah
  • 25
    Landlord: Over the last six years of renting I have never had this issue. I'm not sure what to tell you.
    via EJ9utah
  • 26
    Landlord: [screenshot of a Google answers page which says:] A normal shower is typically between 5 and 10 minutes, with the average American shower lasting about 8 minutes.
    via EJ9utah
  • 27
    While some people take longer, showering for more than 15 minutes can strip the skin of natural oils, leading to dryness, and is not recommended by many dermatologists.
    via EJ9utah
  • 28
    [End of screenshot] [End of conversation]
    via EJ9utah

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