Civil Code § 1954.204 requires specified disclosures before the rental agreement is executed.
§ 1954.205 specifies permitted usage, fixed-charge, billing-fee and late-fee components for covered submetered water bills.
Do not assume the submeter rules automatically answer a RUBS dispute; the billing method and local rules matter.
If your apartment has an individual water submeter
Before the rental agreement is executed, § 1954.204 requires written disclosure that water will be billed separately, an estimated monthly bill, due dates and payment procedures, billing contact information, permitted charge categories, leak-reporting information and information about requesting submeter details.
Section 1954.205 then limits the regular water bill to specified components. It includes volumetric usage, a permitted share of fixed charges, a billing/administrative fee subject to statutory limits and annual adjustment, and a late charge governed by the chapter.
If the bill uses RUBS instead of your measured submeter usage
RUBS generally allocates a master-meter bill using a proxy such as occupancy, unit size or another formula. California’s submeter statutes should not be treated as a one-size-fits-all answer for a non-submetered RUBS bill. The CPUC has explained that jurisdiction over apartment water-billing disputes can be limited and fact-specific, and local rent-control rules or civil remedies may also matter.
What to request before disputing a utility charge
- The lease clause and utility addendum authorizing separate billing.
- Whether the unit has an actual submeter and the beginning/end readings.
- The property’s master bill and the formula used to allocate your share, when applicable.
- Every administrative, billing, common-area or service fee included in the amount.
- The property city and utility provider, because local and provider-specific rules can matter.
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Official sources
Use these links to verify the rule directly. RentBillCheck prioritizes California statutes, courts and state-agency guidance over secondary summaries.
Required disclosures before separately billing tenants for submetered water service.
California Legislative InformationCalifornia Civil Code § 1954.205 ↗Permitted components and calculation rules for submetered water bills.
California Public Utilities CommissionDecision 01-05-058 — Water Service at Multi-Unit Apartments ↗Official CPUC discussion explaining that jurisdiction over apartment water billing can be limited and fact-specific, particularly for non-submetered arrangements.