How to bill tenants for water from one main meter (Kenya)

Sub-meter or flat share?

Sub-meter billing. You fit a small meter on each unit's pipe. The main bill is the water company's charge for the whole building. Each tenant pays for the units on their own meter, at a rate per unit that you set and write into the lease. Most tenants accept this as the fairest method.

Flat share. You divide the bill by the number of units, or by shares per household (for example one share for a bedsitter and two for a three-bedroom). It is simple, but a tenant who is away still pays, which causes arguments.

How to bill water from one main meter, step by step

Fit a sub-meter on every unit, and note the starting reading, signed by the tenant at move-in.
Write the method, the rate per unit and the reading date into the tenancy agreement.
Work out your rate: the main bill divided by total units, plus a small allowance for common areas and pipe losses if the lease says so.
Read every sub-meter on the same day each month.
Subtract last month's reading from this month's to get units used.
Multiply units used by the rate and add the charge to that tenant's invoice as a separate line.
Keep the water company's bill, and show it if a tenant asks.

How to avoid water-bill disputes

Charge the same rate to everyone and say so in writing.
Show both readings and the units used on every invoice, not just the total.
Do not charge more than the bill justifies. A markup the lease does not mention is the quickest way to lose a tenant's trust.
Fix leaks quickly. A leak before a sub-meter is your cost, not the tenant's.

Worked example

A four-unit building receives a water bill of KES 16,500 for the month. The main meter shows 550 units, so the bill works out at KES 30 per unit. The sub-meters show A1 used 120 units, A2 used 95, A3 used 140 and A4 used 110, a total of 465. The other 85 units went to the garden tap and pipe losses.

The lease sets the tenant rate at KES 35 per unit, covering that shared use:

A1: 120 × 35 = KES 4,200
A2: 95 × 35 = KES 3,325
A3: 140 × 35 = KES 4,900
A4: 110 × 35 = KES 3,850

That is KES 16,275 against a bill of KES 16,500, so the landlord absorbs KES 225. By flat share each unit would pay KES 4,125, which is KES 800 more than A2 used.

How HomeManager handles it

HomeManager bills water from meter readings at a per-unit rate. You set the rate for the property, then enter each unit's reading every month. HomeManager takes the previous reading, works out the units used, multiplies by the rate and adds the charge to the tenant's monthly invoice alongside the rent.

Your caretaker can enter the readings from a phone, or type to the AI assistant, for example "Reading for A1 is 1,284". It prepares a card showing the previous reading, units used and charge, and saves nothing until they press Confirm.

If your building has no sub-meters and you bill by flat share, agree the share in writing first. HomeManager records this against the tenant's account.

Bill water from the readings, not from guesswork.

HomeManager turns each meter reading into a charge on the tenant's invoice, at your rate, with the history on record.

Get Started with HomeManager

Frequently asked questions

How do I split a water bill between tenants with one main meter?

Fit a sub-meter on each unit, divide the main bill by total units to get a rate, then charge each tenant their units used at that rate. Where sub-meters are not fitted, divide the bill by an agreed number of shares per unit. HomeManager bills from per-unit readings at your rate.

Can a landlord charge tenants more than the water company bills?

Only if the tenancy agreement says so, and the extra should be modest and explained, for example an allowance for common-area use and pipe losses. A hidden markup invites disputes. Keep the water company's bill so you can show how the rate was reached.

What should I do if a tenant disputes their water reading?

Re-read the sub-meter with the tenant present, compare it with the previous reading on the invoice, and check for a leak after the meter. Because HomeManager keeps each month's readings, you can show the history instead of arguing from memory.

Can my caretaker enter water readings in HomeManager?

Yes. A caretaker can enter meter readings without being able to record payments, add tenants or change rent. The reading becomes a water charge on the tenant's invoice at the property's per-unit rate.