Cleveland Water Bills on a Rental: What Landlords Owe and How to Set It Up

By the ACC Solutions team

On a rental served by Cleveland Water, the owner is primarily liable for the water and sewer charges, even when a tenant lives there, pays the bill, or has the account in their name. That is written into Cleveland's water billing ordinance, so the question for a landlord isn't whether the bill is your problem, it's how you set it up so it never becomes one. This guide covers who owes, the three ways to arrange water on a lease, what happens step by step when a bill goes unpaid, and the vacant-unit and sale rules that catch owners off guard. If you'd rather hand it off, our Cleveland rental property management includes it.

Who owes the water bill on a Cleveland rental

Cleveland Water is run by the City of Cleveland, and its billing rules are in Chapter 535 of the city's Codified Ordinances. Section 535.15 (read the text) says:

• Accounts "shall be established and maintained in the name of the record title owner."
• The owner is "deemed primarily liable for all water and service charges for such premises, whether or not the premises is occupied by the owner, tenant or other persons, and whether or not the account has been established in the name of some other person or entity."
• Users and occupants are also liable, but that doesn't take the owner off the hook.

Ohio law also lets a city water department collect unpaid charges by certifying them to the county auditor for the property tax list, or by suing an owner, tenant or other liable person, under the conditions in Ohio Revised Code 743.04. Either way, an unpaid tenant water bill can come back to the property.

Three ways to set up water on a lease

1. Owner pays, rent covers it. The simplest to manage: you see every bill and every spike. Price it into the rent and watch usage.
2. Owner pays, tenant reimburses. The lease says the tenant repays the water and sewer bill each month or quarter. You still carry the risk if the tenant doesn't pay you, so treat it like rent: track it monthly.
3. Tenant Deposit Account. Cleveland Water's FAQ says a renter can set one up at the Customer Service Center, 1201 Lakeside Ave., with a copy of the lease, photo ID and a deposit based on the property's location. The bill "will carry the property owner's name but will come to your [the tenant's] address." That means you stop seeing the bills unless you look.

Whichever you choose, write it into the lease in plain words: who pays, how often, and what happens if a bill or a reimbursement is late. Then check the account yourself. A My Cleveland Water online account shows the account information and bills.

What happens when a water bill goes unpaid

Cleveland's ordinance sets out the order:

1. Delinquency notice. When the account isn't paid by the due date, a notice of delinquency may be mailed to the account holder (535.14).
2. Termination notice to the account holder, at least 15 days before service is shut off (535.16(a)).
3. Notice to tenants. If the division believes residential tenants live there, it gives them at least 30 days' notice by mail or by posting on all accessible building entrances and, where possible, each unit door, telling them their remedies (535.16(b)).
4. Tenants' options. Under 535.14, tenants can keep service by paying a deposit and taking over future bills, or, if at least half of them do it, by depositing their rent with the municipal court clerk and asking the court to apply it to the water delinquency under ORC 5321.07. For how rent deposits work from the landlord's side, see our Ohio rent escrow guide for landlords.
5. Restoration. Apart from those tenant remedies, service shut off for nonpayment isn't restored until all charges are paid, "whether or not there has been in the meantime a change of ownership or possession."

Cleveland Water can also require a deposit on an account that has received delinquency or termination notices or had service shut off. The ordinance sets it at six average monthly bills or two average quarterly bills, returned after 12 consecutive monthly (or 4 quarterly) bills are paid on time. A shutoff notice posted on your building is the first thing your tenants see, so catch problems at step 1.

Vacant units still get a water bill

Cleveland Water's FAQ says customers pay a monthly fixed charge "even if no water is used at a property, as long as water service is available," based on the meter size, and "the only way to avoid the fixed charge is if the service connection is plugged" (plugging has its own charge on the rates and fees schedule). For a unit that is empty for a few weeks between tenants, budget the fixed charge as a turnover cost; plugging only makes sense for a building that will sit empty a long time. During a turnover, two more numbers help:

• To have water shut off at the city-side connection for repairs, call Cleveland Water Distribution and Maintenance at 216-664-3060.
• To schedule a Cleveland Water plumbing inspection after repairs, call Permits and Sales at 216-664-2444, ext. 75200.

Read the meter at move-out and move-in and keep the readings with your move-in inspection checklist. If the lease has the tenant reimburse water, those readings settle the last bill. Our rental turnover checklist lists the rest of the turnover steps.

Buying or selling a rental: the water account changes at transfer

• Buyers: Cleveland Water's FAQ says a new owner's responsibility begins on the day title transfers, and a new owner isn't responsible for the previous owner's balance. Call Customer Service at 216-664-3130 after the title has transferred and the deed is recorded, so the old account gets a final bill and a new one starts.
• Sellers: Under ORC 743.04(A)(5), any party to a sale can ask the water department to read the meter and send a final bill within ten days; the request must be made at least fourteen days before the title transfers. Cleveland's Chapter 535 also has sections on the seller supplying a statement of the water bill's status and on escrow agents not disbursing funds without it (535.41 and 535.42), so expect the title company to ask.

Mistakes that turn a water bill into a landlord problem

• Thinking "the tenant's name is on it." Under 535.15 the owner is primarily liable either way.
• Never checking a Tenant Deposit Account. The bills go to the tenant's address, so the first sign of trouble can be a posted shutoff notice.
• A lease that is silent on water. Spell out who pays and the deadline, or you have no clean way to recover it.
• Ignoring a high bill. A jump in usage often means a running toilet or a leak. Fix it fast; a tenant who loses service or lives with a leak may have repair remedies under Ohio law (see Ohio landlord habitability and repair duties).
• Forgetting the fixed charge on a vacant unit. It keeps billing until the connection is plugged.

How ACC handles water on the rentals we manage

For Cleveland-area owners, ACC Solutions builds water into the management routine: the lease states who pays, we record meter readings at move-in and move-out, we watch the account for notices, and repair calls about leaks and running fixtures get scheduled before they show up on the bill. Owners who live out of state can see how that works on our out-of-state rental property management page. To talk through your property, call (216) 238-5999, email support@accmgmtsolutions.com or book a consultation. This article is general information, not legal advice; for a dispute, talk to an attorney or Cleveland Water directly.

ACC Solutions team
Phone: (216) 238-5999 · Email: support@accmgmtsolutions.com · Contact form
6545 Market Ave N, Canton, OH 44721

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the landlord responsible for the water bill in Cleveland?

Yes. Cleveland Codified Ordinance 535.15 says the owner is primarily liable for all water and service charges, whether the property is occupied by the owner or a tenant and whether or not the account is in someone else's name.

Can a tenant put the Cleveland Water bill in their name?

A renter can open a Tenant Deposit Account at the Customer Service Center, 1201 Lakeside Ave., with a copy of the lease, photo ID and a deposit. The bill carries the owner's name but goes to the tenant's address.

How much notice does Cleveland Water give before shutting off a rental?

At least 15 days' notice to the account holder, and at least 30 days' notice to residential tenants by mail or by posting on the building's entrances, under Cleveland Codified Ordinance 535.16.

Do I pay for water on a vacant rental unit?

Yes. Cleveland Water charges a monthly fixed charge based on meter size whenever service is available, even if no water is used. The only way to avoid it is to have the service connection plugged.

Am I responsible for the previous owner's Cleveland Water balance?

No. Cleveland Water says a new owner's responsibility begins on the day title transfers. Call 216-664-3130 after the deed is recorded to start the new account.