Lease Water Shut Off & Heat

[Tami R.]

I have around 80 rentals.  I am reviewing my lease and I've been stung where a tenant did not pay their water bill and the city shuts off the water from the street.  When the city turns back the water the valve / pipe breaks and then I have to pay for the digging and new valve.  It costs between $900-$1700.  Unless I go to the city and pay the utility bill  - I don't know what else to do??? Wondering if anyone has any good wording in the lease regarding this... same thing regarding midwest winters and heat.  I had a friend that had young tenants that went to Phoenix for the holidays and didn't want to pay the heat so turned the heat off in IOWA!  

This is all we have re: utilities:

Tenant agrees to keep the Premises heated to a minimum temperature of 55*F during cold weather by using the heating equipment on or at the Premises and not by using the stove, other appliances, or kerosene space heaters. Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for all costs incurred by Landlord in repairing or replacing frozen pipes serving Premises if such freezing is the fault of Tenant, Tenant's family, employees, agents or guest.

7. UTILITY RATES. Tenant hereby acknowledgesthat the Landlord, or the person authorized to enter into this Rental Agreement on Landlord’s behalf, has fully explained to Tenant the utility rates, chargesand services for which Tenant will be required to pay, other than those to be paid directly to the utility company(s) furnishing service. The Landlord hereby makes no representation or warranties of the utility rates or historical utility rates of the dwelling unit other than those made in writing by the utility company providing the utilities.