Water bill transfer to tenant in Southern California

[Lalaine-Datu Villafuerte]

Hi guys question . I have a triplex in Southern California and I inherited the tenants a year ago. I want to  transfer water bill to the tenants because the bill has tripled. I wrote a letter giving 1 month notice and the tenant replied that water is landlord responsibility. They do not have a contract or lease.  Thoughts please?

[Nathan Gesner]

Don't argue with Tenants. They are not under a lease, so this is your opportunity to put them under one.

"Dear Tenant,

I hereby require all tenants to be under a written lease agreement. You are responsible for reviewing the attached agreement. If you wish to stay, have all adults sign the agreement and return to me. If you do not wish to rent under these terms, fill out the attached Notice of Termination and return to me. Either way, I expect your written response no later than [DATE]. If you fail to provide any response, I will serve you with a Notice of Termination and you will be expected to vacate no later than 30 days after that notice. These offers are non-negotiable."

Honestly, this is my nice version. If a tenant tries to push me around, I get rid of them. It's a clear indication they are highly likely to cause problems in the future and I'm not in the mood for games.