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My name is Zaid Ali, and I'm a small business owner and landlord in the City of Williamsport. I write today not only on behalf of myself but on behalf of every property owner and landlord who has been quietly burdened by an unfair and broken system enforced by our local water authority – one that allows for unchecked financial sabotage at the hands of irresponsible tenants, and refuses to work with those seeking reasonable solutions.
Under current policy, water bills in Williamsport are placed in the name of the property owner, not the tenant. This structure – which may have originally been created for administrative simplicity – has now become a tool for abuse. Tenants, who are not legally or financially tied to the water account, can rack up high usage without consequence. Landlords, meanwhile, are left footing the bill with no recourse and no protection. In my case, a tenant deliberately ran the water to the point that I received a bill for over $1,300. This wasn't an accident. This was intentional misuse – possibly to cause financial harm, or simply due to gross negligence – and yet I, the landlord, am expected to pay it in full.
When I contacted the water company and offered to pay the full balance over time, starting with a commitment of $100 a month, I was flatly denied. I wasn't asking for a discount. I wasn't dodging the responsibility. I was proposing a reasonable, good-faith payment plan. Yet I was told the only option was to pay the full balance immediately – or face consequences.
Let me be clear: this policy is both punitive and out of touch. No utility company should be turning away responsible payment offers from community members who are making every effort to resolve issues created by others. Furthermore, by refusing to allow tenants to hold the account or be directly responsible for their own water usage, the system is incentivizing irresponsibility while penalizing honest property owners.
I urge the City of Williamsport and the local water authority to reexamine this policy immediately.
Landlords should have the right to place utility accounts in the names of tenants, or at the very least there should be mechanisms for dispute resolution and structured payment plans when billing discrepancies arise.
This practice hurts housing affordability, discourages investment in the community, and creates a hostile environment between landlords and tenants. If we're serious about encouraging property improvement and responsible ownership in Williamsport, we must start by addressing predatory billing practices like this one.
ZAID ALI
Williamsport
Submitted by email