House File 2423 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY SCHUELLER and PAULSEN
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to billing notifications for water service
2 provided by a city utility for residential rental property.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 6325YH 81
5 kk/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 384.84, subsection 3, paragraph d, Code
1 2 2005, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 d. Residential rental property where a charge for water
1 4 service is separately metered and paid directly to the city
1 5 utility or enterprise by the tenant is exempt from a lien for
1 6 delinquent rates or charges associated with such water service
1 7 if the landlord gives written notice to the city utility or
1 8 enterprise that the property is residential rental property
1 9 and that the tenant is liable for the rates or charges. A
1 10 city utility or enterprise may require a deposit not exceeding
1 11 the usual cost of ninety days of water service to be paid to
1 12 the utility or enterprise. Upon receipt, the utility or
1 13 enterprise shall acknowledge the notice and deposit. A
1 14 written notice shall contain the name of the tenant
1 15 responsible for charges, address of the residential rental
1 16 property that the tenant is to occupy, and the date that the
1 17 occupancy begins. A change in tenant shall require a new
1 18 written notice to be given to the city utility or enterprise
1 19 within ten business days of the change in tenant. When the
1 20 tenant moves from the rental property, the city utility or
1 21 enterprise shall return the deposit if the water service
1 22 charges are paid in full. A change in the ownership of the
1 23 residential rental property shall require written notice of
1 24 such change to be given to the city utility or enterprise
1 25 within ten business days of the completion of the change of
1 26 ownership. The lien exemption for rental property does not
1 27 apply to charges for repairs to a water service if the repair
1 28 charges become delinquent.
1 29 EXPLANATION
1 30 This bill relates to certain billing notifications required
1 31 by owners of residential rental property receiving water
1 32 service from a city utility. Under current law, if water
1 33 service is separately metered and paid directly by a tenant of
1 34 residential rental property, the owner of the property is
1 35 required to notify the city utility that the property is
2 1 rental property, that the tenant is responsible for water
2 2 charges at the property, and the name of the tenant. Under
2 3 current law, the owner must also notify the city utility each
2 4 time there is a change in the tenant at the residential rental
2 5 property within 10 days of the change in tenant. The bill
2 6 strikes the requirement that the owner notify the city utility
2 7 of the name of the tenant and the requirement that the owner
2 8 notify the city utility each time there is a change in the
2 9 tenant at the residential rental property.
2 10 LSB 6325YH 81
2 11 kk:nh/je/5