Windermere FL Rentals: Winter Watering Rules for Owners

Orange County moved to its winter watering schedule on November 1, 2026. Until March 13, 2027, homes with odd-numbered addresses may irrigate only on Saturday, and homes with even-numbered addresses only on Sunday. No watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and no more than one hour per zone.

For Windermere rental owners, that schedule touches three things at once: the lawn your HOA inspects, the water bill on the account, and who answers the door hanger if a timer runs on the wrong day. This guide from Bella Trae Realty walks through what to reset, what to write into the lease, and how to handle a make-ready with new sod.

What the Winter Schedule Says

Orange County's rules apply no matter where the water comes from: a public or private utility, a private well, or a pump pulling from a lake or pond. That matters on the Butler Chain, where some lakefront homes irrigate straight from the lake. A lake pump is still on the Saturday or Sunday schedule.

The county ordinance also caps each zone at three-quarters of an inch of water per watering day. Broken or misdirected spray heads and irrigation leaks must be repaired within seven days of written notice from county staff. A first violation in Orange County brings a warning by door hanger and letter. Repeat violations carry a $25 fine each, and the county says unpaid fines can be added to the water bill of the account holder.

Windermere addresses may be served by different water providers, and some homes are inside the Town of Windermere while others sit in unincorporated Orange County. Confirm your watering days with the utility that bills the property. If the home uses reclaimed water, ask that provider which rules apply.

Reset the Controller Before the Next Tenant Notices

Irrigation timers in rentals are often set once and forgotten. Some are still running a two-day summer program, or a schedule from a prior owner. On a large Windermere lot with eight or ten zones, that can mean hours of water on a day the county does not allow.

Have your property manager or landscaper open the controller this month and check four things: the watering day matches the address, the start time falls before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., each zone runs under an hour, and the rain sensor works. Take a photo of the final program and save it in the property file. If a tenant later says the system was set wrong, you have a dated record.

Orange County Utilities also offers help resetting irrigation timers. That is worth a call if the controller is an older model and no one has the manual.

Who Pays the Water Bill and the Fine

Because fines can land on the account holder's water bill, the lease should say plainly whose name is on the water account and who controls the irrigation system. In many single-family rentals the tenant holds the utility account, which means a timer the owner set could produce a fine on the tenant's bill. That leads to a dispute over a small amount and a strained relationship.

A clean approach is to name one party as responsible for the controller. If the owner or the landscaper controls it, the owner takes responsibility for schedule compliance. If the tenant controls it, give them the watering day in writing at move-in and again each November and March when the schedule changes. Either way, the lease should say what happens if the lawn declines because of a broken system versus a tenant who turned it off.

This is general information, not legal advice. Have your lease reviewed by a Florida attorney if you plan to change how utilities or landscaping are assigned.

HOA Lawn Standards in Gated Windermere Communities

Many Windermere neighborhoods have architectural and landscape standards, and associations send violation letters for brown patches and bare spots. Those letters go to the owner, not the tenant. One-day-a-week watering in the dry months makes it easier for a lawn to slip, especially in full sun or on sandy soil near the lakes.

Ask your landscaper to adjust for the season rather than run more water. Raising mowing height, spot-checking heads for coverage gaps, and fixing low-pressure zones usually do more than extra minutes. If an HOA notice does arrive, respond within the association's deadline with a short plan and photos. A documented fix gives the board something concrete to close the file on.

New Sod During a Make-Ready

Turnover season is when many owners replace dead turf before the next lease. Orange County allows new sod or landscaping to be watered on any day, at any time, for the first 30 days after installation, then every other day for the next 30 days. After that, the property returns to the normal schedule.

Keep the installation invoice with the date on it. If a neighbor reports daily watering, that invoice shows the property is inside the establishment window. Orange County also has a lawn replacement billing adjustment request for customers who replace sod, so ask your utility whether it applies before the higher bill arrives. Then set a calendar reminder for day 60 to put the controller back on the Saturday or Sunday program.

Bella Trae Realty manages rentals across Windermere and west Orange County, and seasonal checks like this one are part of how we keep homes ready for inspections and renewals. If you own a Windermere rental and are not sure who is watching the controller, start there this week.

Contact Bella Trae Realty today to set up a seasonal property check for your Windermere rental.