Building standards: water meters: multiunit structures.

(1) The Water Measurement Law requires every water purveyor to require, as a condition of new water service on and after January 1, 1992, the installation of a water meter to measure water service. That law also requires urban water suppliers to install water meters on specified service connections, and to charge water users based on the actual volume of deliveries as measured by those water meters in accordance with a certain timetable. This bill would require a water purveyor that provides water service to a newly constructed multiunit residential structure or newly constructed mixed-use residential and commercial structure that submits an application for a water connection after January 1, 2015, to require measurement of the quantity of water supplied to each individual dwelling unit and to permit the measurement to be by individual water meters or submeters, as defined. The bill would require the owner of the structure to ensure that a water submeter installed for these purposes complies with laws and regulations governing approval of submeter types or the installation, maintenance, reading, billing, and testing of submeters, including, but not limited to, the California Plumbing Code. The bill would exempt certain structures from these requirements. The bill would prohibit a water purveyor from imposing an additional capacity or connection fee or charge for a submeter that is installed by the owner, or his or her agent. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative on January 1, 2015. (2) Existing law generally regulates the hiring of dwelling units and, among other things, imposes certain requirements on landlords and tenants. Among these requirements, existing law requires landlords to provide tenants with certain notices or disclosures pertaining to, among other things, pest control and gas meters. This bill would, if a water purveyor requires the installation of a meter or submeter, as specified, or a submeter has been installed, impose further requirements on landlords, relating to submetered water service to individual dwelling units. The bill would require a landlord to install and operate submeters in prescribed dwelling units, as specified. The bill would require a landlord to make certain disclosures to the tenant prior to the execution of the rental agreement, if the landlord intends to charge a tenant separately from rent for water service in a property with submeters. The bill would specify that as part of the monthly bill for water service a landlord may only bill a tenant for volumetric water usage, as specified, a portion of any recurring fixed charge billed to the property by the water purveyor, as specified, a billing, administrative, or other fee, as prescribed, and a late charge. The bill would specify that payments are required to be due at the same point in each billing cycle, as prescribed, and that each bill must include and separately set forth certain information. The bill would prohibit a landlord from charging certain additional fees. The bill would require a landlord to maintain and make available in writing the date the submeter was last inspected, tested, and verified and the data used to calculate the tenant's bill to a tenant upon the tenant's written or electronic request, as specified. The bill would require a landlord to investigate, and if warranted, rectify, a condition that indicates that water is being distributed to the tenant not at his or her direction, as specified. The bill would permit a landlord to enter a unit for specified purposes relating to a submeter or water fixture provided that certain requirements are met. The bill would permit the assessment of late fees, as specified. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative on January 1, 2015. In addition to actual damages, this bill would permit a tenant to recover from the landlord certain damages, costs, and fees for a violation of these provisions. The bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, or district to enforce these provisions.