Water in a block of flats with shared or individual meters

Terms used

• Gastos de comunidad — The gastos de comunidad are the regular fees owners pay to run the building, such as cleaning, lifts and shared bills.
• Coeficiente de participación — The coeficiente de participación is each flat's percentage share of the building, used to divide shared costs.
• Contador divisional — A contador divisional is a sub-meter inside a flat that measures that flat's water within a shared-meter building.
• Alta — The alta is the new supply contract opened in your name with the water provider.

Key rules

• Shared meter: The community holds the water contract and you pay through the community fee, so you normally need no contract of your own.
• Individual meter: You open a contract in your name and pay your own bill, separate from the community fee.
• Lease: Make sure your lease says whether water is included in the community fee or paid by you.

The short answer

It depends on the meters. With one shared meter, the community pays the water bill and you pay through the community. With a meter in each flat, you pay your own bill and need a contract in your name.

One shared meter

A shared meter measures the whole building. The community of owners holds the supply contract and pays the bill. It then spreads the cost among the flats, so water is part of the gastos de comunidad.

• You normally do not need a separate water contract with the utility.
• If you rent, you pay through the community fee passed on by your landlord, or through an agreed reimbursement. This should be written in your lease.
• The community decides how to divide the cost. Unless its statutes or a community agreement say otherwise, the default is the coeficiente de participación, each flat's share of the building. Some communities divide by number of occupants instead. The fairest method is a contador divisional (a sub-meter) in each flat.
• Changing the method generally needs a community vote. It may need everyone's agreement if it changes the statutes.

Individual meters

Each flat's meter measures only your consumption, so you pay for what you use. Water is billed to you directly and is not in the community fee.

• You need a contract (alta) in your name with the local water provider.
• Individual meters are the norm in new buildings and in most cities. National rules require them in new builds.
• Older blocks, especially in some regions, may still have a single shared meter. Several regions encourage converting these, but conversion needs the community's approval and costs money.

How to tell which you have

Check these three things:

1. The lease. It should say which costs are included in the rent or the community fee.
2. The community fee statement. If it lists water, the meter is shared.
3. Your flat. A meter inside the flat, or a supply contract in the occupant's name, means individual metering.

If you are still unsure, ask the landlord or the community administrator for the breakdown. Rules and community statutes vary by region and building, so that breakdown is what settles it.

The decision and FAQ below help you choose your next step.

Choosing between options

Do you need your own water contract, or is water paid through the community?

• Shared meter: pay through the community: The building has one general meter. The community holds the supply contract, so you normally need no separate contract. You pay through the community fee passed on by the landlord or an agreed reimbursement, and the lease should say how.

• Individual meter: open your own contract: Your flat has its own meter. You need a contract (alta) in your name with the local water provider, and the bill comes directly to you, not in the community fee.

If there is a meter inside your flat, open a contract in your name. If the whole building shares one meter, water is in the community fee and the lease should state how you repay it.

Frequently asked questions

How is shared-meter water divided between flats?

The community sets the method, and by default it divides the bill by each flat's coeficiente de participación, which is its share of the building. A community can also divide by number of occupants or fit a sub-meter (contador divisional) in each flat, which is the fairest way. Changing the method needs a community vote, and it may need everyone to agree if it changes the statutes.

How can I tell if my flat has its own water meter?

Look for a meter inside the flat or a water supply contract in the occupant's name, which means you are billed directly. Also read your lease and the community fee statement, because they show which costs are included. If water is not clear in either, ask the community administrator.

Can a community convert a shared meter to individual meters?

Yes, a community can convert to individual meters, but it needs approval from the owners and it costs money. New buildings must have individual meters, and several regions promote conversion in older blocks. Tenants should ask the landlord whether a conversion is planned.