| Landlords have a few ways they can prepare or | | | | running toilet, though. You could give them $25 off |
| prevent a running toilet condition from happening, | | | | their rent, for example, if they reported a running |
| though, according to our research and the fact that | | | | toilet to you that indeed did prove to be a severe |
| we're in the industry, most Landlords take an ad hoc, | | | | case. Of course, we haven't heard of anyone doing |
| wait-and-see approach, which takes something in the | | | | this effectively, though who's to say a campaign like |
| form of the process above. | | | | this wouldn't work! Tenants love perks, and basically |
| So, here are a few suggestions for preventing a | | | | you'd be paying them $25 to stop what could be a |
| running or leaking toilet condition from occurring at all, | | | | $1000 or $2000 problem! |
| or at least stopping it before it's too late: | | | | 6. Install Wireless Ultrasonic or Paddlewheel |
| 1. Get Out of The Property Management Business. If | | | | Sub-Metering or Individual Unit Metering Technology. |
| you're not in the business, no need to worry. | | | | This system, usually called a Flow Meter System, |
| 2. Don't Have Tenants. If you don't have tenants, | | | | does work. Some examples are Global Water's |
| then you won't have to worry about them not | | | | Paddlewheel Flow Meters or UE Systems' Ultrasonic |
| reporting running toilets to you. | | | | Leak Detection technology. However, these options |
| 3. Don't Have Toilets. Toilets run, that's a given, but if | | | | come with an exorbitant price tag, at minimum $400 |
| you don't have them, they won't. (We'll assume | | | | per individual unit, and this doesn't include other fees |
| these first three methods aren't an option for you. ;-) | | | | or the cost of a skilled technician splicing sophisticated |
| ) | | | | metering technology into your rough plumbing. A |
| 4. Schedule Regular (weekly, monthly, quarterly, | | | | time-consuming task, as well. However, as water |
| bi-annually) Inspections of Your Water Meters or | | | | rates continue to rise, methods such as these will |
| Your Tenants' Premises (Toilets). You could regularly | | | | increase in their viability. |
| check your buildings' building-wide master-meters for | | | | 7. Have Your Tenant Pay for The Water Bill. If you |
| anomalous jumps in water usage. This requires a lot | | | | have the option, put it in the rental agreement. Bill |
| of management time and meter or plumbing | | | | your tenants for their water usage. This will certainly |
| expertise. Your tenants don't like to be checked on | | | | galvinize them to action, and if it doesn't, well, at |
| or hassled. | | | | least you're not footing the bill. However, if there's |
| 5. Educate or Incentivize Your Tenants to Report a | | | | already a precedent established or if this makes it |
| Running or Leaking Toilet Condition. The dye test is | | | | difficult for you to find tenants in a competitive |
| the most popular recommendation or suggestion on | | | | market, this may be difficult if not impossible to do. |
| the part of water utilities and water managers. We | | | | As a side note, in some municipalities, the Landlord |
| don't think it's very popular with property managers. | | | | has to pay for the water, and this often depends on |
| You basically administer drops of coloring into your | | | | when the building was built and/or bought. You should |
| toilet tank and if they leak through into the toilet | | | | look into your local laws and codes. |
| bowl after a few minutes, then you have a running | | | | 8. Install an acoustic Leak Detection Security System. |
| or leaking toilet condition. Many utilities give these | | | | There's only one on the market that we know about. |
| packets away for free. Obviously, people are lazy | | | | Let's just say it's the most viable leak detection |
| and don't have the time to do the dye test on their | | | | system for running or leaking toilets that we've heard |
| toilets regularly (if you're going to do it, we | | | | of, as it virtually guarantees that you'll have no more |
| recommend that you do it monthly or quarterly), so | | | | surprise, exorbitant water bills, and the cost is a third |
| this method isn't very effective. There is a myriad of | | | | of other sub-metering options. |
| ways you could incentivize your tenants' to report a | | | | |