Property manager charges tenant $45 extra for 'excessive toilet flushing', claims they shouldn't flush more than 5 times per day: 'Maybe you should consider holding it'

Just like any business, most landlords will do everything in their power to ensure that they are making a profit.

Unlike many customers, though, tenants are not always treated as if they are always right. It is common for those who rent to find those managing their property trying to sneak in extra payments and costs that were not included in the original rental agreement. If there is a way to up the price of a place without the person living there making it an issue, most landlords will go through with it.

As a lot of tenants find out, these hidden charges are not always subtle or even logical. More often than not, they are a brazen attempt at squeezing cash out of somebody who is already handing over a significant proportion of their income for the pleasure of a roof over their heads. Whether refusing to hand back a deposit because of some imaginary property damage or adding a suspicious 'service fee' to a monthly invoice, the ways in which properties can be mismanaged are endless. No matter what it says in the contract, there will be some who try to twist what it says in order to make another buck.

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  • a toilet paper holder with a toilet paper roll with only a few sheets of toilet paper left on it
    via Natalia Blauth (Unsplash+)

  • Bills and other expenses are a frequent target of landlords looking for underhanded ways to boost their profits. As an essential part of living somewhere, it can feel like it is a lot more difficult for their request to be rejected.

    In this story, a tenant was flabbergasted when they received their water bill for the month and saw that it had an extra $45 charge on it. The property management office claimed that this was because they were flushing their toilet too much, and that there was a limit on how many times they should be flushing if they wanted to avoid the charge.

    They were not willing to listen to the tenant's protests and told them that there would be an extra fine if they did not make the payment within the next 10 days. Not wanting to accept this, the tenant sought out advice on how to proceed. 

  • My property management company is trying to charge me for "excessive toilet flushing" and I wish I was joking

    I got my water bill and theres this extra $45 charge listed as "water usage overage fee" which already seemed sketchy.
    via HourlySharp
  • I called the property management office and the lady told me that according to their "monitoring system" my unit is using too much water and they calculated I flush the toilet approximately 8 times per day which is apparently above their 5 flush average???
    via HourlySharp
  • First of all how are they monitoring my toilet flushes, second of all WHO ONLY FLUSHES 5 TIMES A DAY, and third of all this has to be illegal right?
    via HourlySharp
  • I drink a lot of water because I go to the gym and also just like staying hydrated so yeah I use the bathroom more than 5 times a day like a normal human being.
    via HourlySharp
  • a woman in a white bathrobe washes her hands in a sink with a shower behind her
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • I tried explaining this and she deadass said "well maybe you should consider holding it" and I almost lost it.
    via HourlySharp
  • Then she mentioned that if I dont pay the fee within 10 days it goes up to $75.
    via HourlySharp
  • I actually like this apartment and the location is perfect for my commute. I have some money saved up but I really dont want to blow it on legal fees or moving costs over something this stupid, but also I refuse to pay a fee for using my own toilet in my own apartment that I pay $1,850 a month for.
    via HourlySharp
  • Anyone ever heard of something like this before? Is this even enforceable? Im reading through my lease right now and theres nothing about water usage limits or toilet flush quotas which feels like something theyd have to disclose This is absolutely insane and I feel like im being pranked
    via HourlySharp
  • closeup of a white toilet with the seat left up
    via Giorgio Trovato
  • nursecarmen I'd love to see their lease language on this!!
    via nursecarmen
  • cervidal2 They're full of shit. They have no system in place. I doubt their individual units even have separate tracking and billing. It's why your water is included in your rent. Escalate the hell out of this. They can't charge what's not in the lease
    via cervidal2
  • Toosder Is d D tic protected class? tic people have to pee a lot. I feel like there might be something here
    via Toosder
  • Annual_Crow4215 You absolutely should fight this. They don't get to dictate how many times you piss or shit. They can have a clause in their lease saying "water included up to ✗overage paid by tenant" but this also has to follow your state/county laws But just know that they (usually) do have the right to refuse to renew your lease when the time comes.
    via Annual_Crow4215
  • SadExercises420 Omg they'd be charging me a fortune, I pee a lot
    via SadExercises420
  • NotMeUsee Test them there's no enforcing this. If they try sue.
    via NotMeUseee
  • penywisexx So if you flush 3 times per day too many? Which is BS to begin with that's 90 times a month too much. If your toilet uses 1.5 gallons per flush (which is what a typical toilet uses), you're using 135 gallons a month more than they think you should be using. Where I live the water costs about half a cent per gallon, if you include the sewer fee it goes up to 1.5 cents per gallon, so that 135 gallons extra you used would in reality have cost about $2.00. You need to look at your lease a
    via penywisexx
  • ISwearMyRX7Runs Is there a small box thats tied into the water line going to the toilet?
    via ISwearMyRX7Runs
  • UnluckyCountry2784 Imagine how much bill a diabetic will incur
    via UnluckyCountry2784
  • Honey BadgerBalls Landlord/plumber/electrician here. Detecting water being flushed down any drain does not exist. They read the water meter to detect the amount of water used per month, the end. Sounds like they had a leak and are now charging tenants to make up for it. This will never hold up in court with the wording they have chosen to use. Maybe they looked at the meter and noticed you used more water than included per month in the lease? If your lease includes utilities then there should be
    via HoneyBadgerBlls

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