Utility Problems

By Tenant

Utility problem is one of the most common problem tenant’s faces when renting a house or an apartment. It usually involves heat, water and electricity. Sometimes this became a very big dispute between the landlord and his tenant that sometimes lead to complaints and early termination of lease. This is a very hassle and inconvenient to both the lender and the tenant themselves.

Here are some tips to avoid disputes with your landlord regarding utility problems and repair:

• Have a lease Agreement. Be sure that when you move in you have a lease you can check and review for future reference. Put everything to writing and document the whole agreement first before you move in.
• Transfer the bill to your name. As a tenant occupying a rental property you can ask for your landlord to transfer the name on the utility bills from his name to yours. That is to be safe from any overcharging a landlord could do to you. Also it serves as a precaution to your landlord if in the future you cannot pay for your utility bill.
• Make sure your lease has a clause for utilities. Review your lease agreement and make sure it has a Utility and Repairs Clause that specifies who is responsible for paying for the services of a professional when needed. Always put to mind that a lease agreement is a binding contract between you and your landlord that can be used by you or against you in court, so be sure you know what you are signing and what you are getting yourself into.
• Check the power and water lines if it has a meter of its own. Just to be safe make sure that your own utilities have a meter of its own and not under someone else’s meter for it is illegal and you do not want to face lawsuit from other people for illegal taping.

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