No, you live in America… That’s the great thing, you won’t be judged by your nationality but by the facts. Being Russian has nothing to do with it!

Don’t you want the added security of lighting? I would appreciate renting from a property that improves the rentals. If during installation the manager used your electricity for an outside light that lights up your porch, then it should be your responsibility– but if it is a light that is far away from your rental, well, that’s a different story. Do you have anyway to control the light, such as a switch? Can you ask management to put in a switch for you?

I do not understand why it is my responsibilities to pay for that light. I do not have a porch.

We have six units (apartments) on each floor. I can not control that light because she made by pass my dimer switch.

Misha,
You are right! You shouldn’t be responsible for a yard light that you have no control over. For the landlord to legally charge you for outside lighting they would need to equally charge all tenants based on size of the unit they are renting. However, for something like this it can be difficult to get your landlord to do anything. You will most likely need to hire and attorney, or file a complaint with the RPA. But the bottome line is that the landlord should not be able to tap into your electricity for ground lighting, unless the light is specifically for your unit. You may want to check your lease agreement– it might state that you are responsible for such lighting. If its that big of a deal, I would suggest finding a new rental.

Are you familiar with the “Landlord History Report?” You can always leave negative feedback about your landlord on this report. This will let other tenants know about the problem. Then, in the future if someone pulls the report on your landlord they will see your comment about how they are stealing electricity from their tenants. I found the Landlord reporting page: You can click here to Leave Feedback on Your Landlord