State and local agencies have attempted to limit the ability of apartment providers to directly bill residents for water, arguing the practice amounts to the resource's sale or resale. Regulators frequently take issue with fees related to such billing programs, implying that property owners and third-party billing companies are unfairly profiting from the billing process.  However, any limitations on the two types of direct water billing would force owners to estimate water costs and include them in the cost of rent, leaving owners on the hook for increased use above that estimate.