All Forum Posts by: Quinn Zerfas

There is no clarity online as to what to do as a tenant if you think you are being taken advantage of in terms of RUBS. Every result is about how a landlord can sign up for RUBS and cut their net costs. Where do you go in Los Angeles to report a suspicion of this nature? It is fraud if the building charges back more the cost of a public utility than they pay, is it not? Or is the system so obtuse that a landlord can pull in $7k in RUBS each month and only be paying $5k out to DWP? (My numbers here are for examples sake)

@Brandon Wells They don't utilize any third party like Realpage. The building has Appfolio for rent payment, but they don't even use that fully. Maintenance requests are never closed. Fully executed leases are not provided unless asked for. This building doesn't care at all. The lease specifically says there is no smoking anywhere in the building for example, not even on individual balconies. Everyone still smokes, including the onsite manager. Think Glendale, CA.

@Greg Scott I read all my leases. There is no language in the master lease and no addendum was provided. In fact, I was told verbally about the RUBS and fee after my lease was signed.

The bottom line is, how do I make sure I/the building in general, are not being screwed over? The building owner's daughter is the onsite property manger and there are at least 5 units being occupied by family members. If I wasn't sure of this, I would do a census door to door.

I'm curious what recourse a tenant would have to make sure they aren't getting screwed over by their buildings RUBS. Based on the way the property manager described the way they bill, it is a blanket and arbitrary system. 1 bed - $60/2 bed - $80/3 bed - $100. I might be recalling the 2bd/3bd rates incorrectly, but in my one bed it is $60 flat. I fully suspect that regardless of how many people live in a unit, the price is determined on the unit size. (Please also note this is only for water. There is no gas). Which of course means that the couple in the one bedroom across the hall would be paying the same amount as me for two people. Also, just doing some quick math on the number of units (64) to what they are taking in each month, I suspect there could be over-billing for profit on the landlords part. So my questions are:

1. Is there regulated formulas a building has to follow for water RUBS? Or is it perfectly legal for them to be lazy and make an arbitrary tier system based on unit size and not occupants?

2. If the answer to question 1 is that the tier system is legal. Is the building allowed to profit off this? Say their calculation brings in $5k a month and the bills only amount to $4k. Is there recourse for the building to prove it is not profiting off this if it is illegal to profit off RUBS?

Other facts: Only (6) washing machines in the entire building. There is very minimal landscaping and most of it is succulents or dirt covered areas with dry bark. No common areas that use water. No pool/jacuzzi/water fountain/etc...

Thanks in advance for the help & input!