SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is taking a stand against delinquent landlords. The public utility company recently cut off service to four apartment complexes that reportedly owed tens of thousands of dollars.
Anne Hayden, the Communications Director for SAWS, says they hope to send a message to apartment owners.
“Like other customers, they also need to make their payments,” Hayden said.
On June 18, SAWS disconnected service at Roselawn Apartments, Westwood Plaza Apartments, Serenity Residences and an eightplex. Hundreds of units were impacted.
“Of the two major owners, both owed over $100,000,” said Hayden. “We were in contact with the landlords of the apartments; the owners. We were also in contact with the tenants and provided two different notices to them.”
Hayden says SAWS also notified the city and county.
Unlike CPS Energy, which allows tenants to pay for their own usage, water bills are typically added to rent. That means, in many cases, the tenants had paid their bills while their landlords had not.
“We know there are tenants that are dependent on it, but unfortunately, we had to take a stand,” said Hayden. “Three of the four complexes did pay. The fourth was an eightplex. It was pretty small, and it seems only one of those apartments was occupied.”
Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito took issue with SAWS’ decision. In a previous statement to KENS 5, Gavito said the utility company should have found another way to make the property owner’s pay.
“Residents should not be punished for the landlord’s lack of response and their neglect of duty to care for their tenants,” Gavito said in the statement. “I would have preferred to have seen SAWS take another route that would not impact residents, but instead focus on holding irresponsible landlords accountable. The actions of SAWS lack compassion for our tenants who are unable to defend themselves in cases like these. In addition, SAWS executed simultaneous disconnections across the city. Staggering the disconnections would have allowed the city departments to help each apartment complex on a case-by-case basis.”
“There was a reason for doing this,” Hayden responded. “We have tried to make every accommodation [to these landlords]. We put it off as long as possible.”
According to Hayden, allowing the apartments to continue operating with unpaid bills would be unfair to other customers.
“Your average person who pays their own water bill, if they miss a payment and haven’t started making some sort of payment plan with SAWS, they may be cut off after just a couple of payments are due,” said Hayden. “However, in these situations, this started back in COVID. We tried to allow every opportunity for them to catch up, but it hasn’t happened.”
Three of the impacted apartments have re-entered a payment plan, SAWS says.
We’re told several other complexes still have outstanding bills.
“We don’t have any plans in the near future to do this to any other locations,” Hayden continued. “But it all depends on payment.”