# RUBS and Submetered Water in Texas Apartments, Explained > Ratio billing vs. submetering in Texas apartments: what 16 TAC Ch. 24 says your lease must show, and how to estimate water in your true monthly. URL: https://newapartmentsfortworth.com/guide/rubs-and-property-billed-water-texas/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-26 Guide # RUBS and Property-Billed Water in Texas Apartments: What Your Lease Must Show Ratio billing and submetering work differently. Here's how each one is calculated, what 16 TAC Chapter 24 says your lease must show, and how to estimate water in your true monthly. Written by New Fort Worth Apartment Team [/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team →](/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team) · Updated October 26, 2026 ![Kitchen faucet and quartz counter in a new apartment in soft golden-hour light](/images/featured/close-up-of-a-new-apartment-kitchen-faucet-and-qua.webp) ## What is property-billed water? Property-billed water means the apartment community pays the water utility and then bills you for your share. If you’re comparing new apartments in Fort Worth [/ →](/) , you’ll see it on many fee sheets as a water, sewer, or trash line that changes month to month. It isn’t a flat fee, so it needs its own estimate. There are two common ways a property bills water: ratio billing, often called RUBS, and submetering. They sound alike, and they work very differently. The method your building uses changes what you’ll pay and what you can control. ![Diagram comparing ratio utility billing and submetered water](/images/content/simple-diagram-comparing-ratio-utility-billing-and.webp) ## How does RUBS work? RUBS stands for Ratio Utility Billing System. The property takes the building’s total water bill and divides it among the units by a formula. Common formulas use the number of occupants, the unit’s square footage, or a mix of the two. Your bill reflects the building’s use, not just yours. That has two effects. A short shower won’t lower your bill much, because everyone’s use sets the total. And a larger unit or more occupants usually means a larger share. Many properties also add a monthly service charge to cover billing costs. ## How does submetering work? Submetering puts a meter on your unit, and you pay for the water that meter records. The property bills you at the utility’s rates, often with a service charge. Your habits matter here. Use less, and the bill goes down. > **The cap is different by method** > > A 9% service-charge cap applies to submetered water. How a cap applies to RUBS service charges is still being verified, so we ask each property how its charge is set. | | RUBS (ratio billing) | Submetering | | --- | --- | --- | | What sets your bill | A formula: occupants, square feet, or both | Your unit’s meter reading | | Does your use change it? | A little | Yes | | Service charge | Common | Common, with a 9% cap | | What to ask for | The formula and last year’s totals | The rate and the service charge | ## What must the lease show under 16 TAC Chapter 24? Texas rules for property-billed water sit in 16 TAC Chapter 24. Before you sign, the lease must tell you the billing method. It must also include information about last year’s water bills, so you can estimate the cost. If those details aren’t in the lease packet, we’d ask for them in writing before you apply. Here’s what we’d look for in the water section of any lease: 1. **The billing method.** RUBS, submetering, or a flat fee. 2. **The formula, if it’s RUBS.** Occupants, square feet, or a mix. 3. **Last year’s bills.** Totals or averages for the building or for similar units. 4. **The service charge.** The amount and how it’s set. 5. **Who to call with a billing question.** Often a third-party billing company. ## How do you estimate water in your true monthly? True monthly is net effective rent plus required fees, utilities, and parking. Water belongs in the utilities part. For a flat fee, we add the fee. For RUBS or submetering, we use last year’s figures for a similar unit, plus the service charge, as the estimate. You can see the method on our true monthly method [/how-we-do-the-math/ →](/how-we-do-the-math/) page. Water usually sits alongside other monthly lines, like bulk internet, valet trash, and pest service. Our guide on required monthly fees [/guide/what-required-monthly-fees-add-to-rent/ →](/guide/what-required-monthly-fees-add-to-rent/) covers those, so you can see the whole monthly number in one place. ## A worked water estimate Here’s how we’d estimate water for a one-bedroom when the lease uses ratio billing. This is a labeled illustration with made-up numbers, to show the steps. | Step | Example | | --- | --- | | Last year’s average for similar units, from the lease disclosure | $42 a month | | Monthly service charge | $4 a month | | Seasonal swing to plan for | Summer months run higher | | Estimate we’d add to true monthly | About $46 a month | If the building submeters instead, we’d look at the same disclosure, then ask about the rate per thousand gallons and how the service charge is set. Your own use matters more under submetering, so a one-person household often lands below the average. Two notes from experience. First, new buildings in lease-up don’t always have a full year of history yet. In that case, ask what the property is using as its estimate, and how it will update once there’s a year of bills. Second, sewer and trash are often billed on the same line as water. Ask for the split, so you can compare it with a building that bills them separately. Whatever the method, write the estimate into your comparison as its own line. That way a building with a lower base rent and a higher water bill doesn’t look cheaper than it is. ## What should you ask the leasing office? We’d ask four questions, in writing, before you tour. How is water billed here? What did a unit like this pay on average last year? What is the monthly service charge? Who handles billing questions? A dated email answer is the version we put in your shortlist. Water setup varies by city too. In Fort Worth Water’s area, a direct account carries a $50 deposit that can be waived with a 12-month utility letter. In a property-billed building, the property usually handles the account. Either way, we’ll help you set it up before move-in. ## Learn more about new apartments in Fort Worth We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. See the page [/ →](/) ## Questions renters ask about this ### What does RUBS mean on an apartment fee sheet? It stands for Ratio Utility Billing System. The property takes its water bill and divides it among units by a formula, such as occupants or square feet, instead of reading a meter in your unit. ### Can I see last year's water bills? Yes. Texas rules in 16 TAC Chapter 24 require the billing method and information about last year's bills to be disclosed in the lease, so ask for them before you sign. ### Is there a cap on water service charges? A 9% service-charge cap applies to submetered water. How a cap applies to RUBS service charges is still being verified, so we ask each property how its charge is set. ### Is submetered water cheaper than RUBS? Not always. Submetering bills your actual use, so it depends on your habits. RUBS spreads the building's total, so it depends on everyone's use. ### Do you guarantee the price or my approval? No. The community sets both, and we confirm them in writing before you sign. ## Related guides Guide ### What Required Monthly Fees Add to New-Apartment Rent At 12 new Fort Worth buildings, required fees ran $36 to $199 a month on Oct 25, 2026. Here's what they cover, how they change your true monthly, and how to get the fee sheet in writing. [What Required Monthly Fees Add to New-Apartment Rent →](/guide/what-required-monthly-fees-add-to-rent/) Guide ### How to Pick the Right Unit in a New Building Choose the floor, stack, and exposure with facts: 2021 IBC STC/IIC 50 sound ratings, Tarrant County's 101°F design temperature, and what sits next to the unit. [How to Pick the Right Unit in a New Building →](/guide/how-to-pick-the-right-unit-in-a-new-building/) Guide ### How to Spot a Fake Apartment Listing The warning signs of rental scams on new-build listings: requests to pay before a tour, off-platform deposits, and prices far below the market. Here's how to verify a listing first. [How to Spot a Fake Apartment Listing →](/guide/how-to-spot-a-fake-apartment-listing/) Guide ### Lease Red Flags to Check Before You Sign at a New Build A pre-signing checklist for new-build leases: concession repayment, RUBS, required fees, renewal terms, early exit, the separate military right, late fees, and the signed flood notice. [Lease Red Flags to Check Before You Sign at a New Build →](/guide/lease-red-flags-new-build/) ## Where to use this ![Aerial view of new apartment communities across the Fort Worth side](/images/content/aerial-view-of-new-apartment-communities-spread-ac.webp) Find ### New Build Board A map and cards for every new community in scope, with the whole price on each card. Open [New Build Board →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![Printed move-in special flyer beside a calculator and lease folder](/images/content/printed-apartment-move-in-special-flyer-beside-a-c.webp) Find ### Fort Worth Apartment Specials Confirmed move-in specials at new buildings, each with base and year two beside it. Open [Fort Worth Apartment Specials →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ![New apartment community in lease-up with a few furnished balconies](/images/content/new-apartment-community-in-lease-up-with-a-few-fur.webp) Find ### Lease-Up Apartments Buildings in lease-up, with stage, fill curve, and what's actually finished. Open [Lease-Up Apartments →](/lease-up-apartments-fort-worth/) Free to you · Your rent is the same either way ## Get the whole price before you tour Tell us your move date, budget, and where you need to be. We'll make the calls, collect the fee sheets, and do the math for every building that fits. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) What happens next: We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.