Landlords - who pays delinquent utilities?

[wdfifteen]

Our village is about to pass an ordinance making landlords responsible for unpaid tenant utility bills. It's a big controversy. With the pro side saying most municipalities have this policy, the against side saying yes, but those towns at least try to collect from the tenant (ours won't) and most towns don't have their own electrical utility. Our village has its own electrical utility, so a tenant can rack up a pretty substantial bill and skip town, leaving the building owner holding the bag. How are delinquent utilities handled in your municipality?

[fastfredracing]

Here , the water company is the Gestapo. They can and will put a lien on the property untill it is paid. That is the one that always stings us.
The others go with the tenants.
Why should the landlord have to pay for tenants refusal to pay? I did not use the gas, or electric, they are only renting the structure from me .
If they want to get tough, pull up their damn pants,and shut the utilities off when they become 10 days late, instead of trying to make someone else pay for them . Hell in a bucket I tell ya.

[95avblm3]

Here, the tenant is responsible for obtaining service (electric, water, gas). The utility companies check credit and may require a deposit. If utilities aren't paid, it's on the tenant.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by 95avblm3

Here, the tenant is responsible for obtaining service (electric, water, gas). The utility companies check credit and may require a deposit. If utilities aren't paid, it's on the tenant.

Same way here ..

[crb07]

Originally Posted by 95avblm3

Here, the tenant is responsible for obtaining service (electric, water, gas). The utility companies check credit and may require a deposit. If utilities aren't paid, it's on the tenant.

This is my experience in Florida. Just make sure it is not a personal account set up in your name and the tenant is merely paying the bill. If a tenant asks the utility for service and goes through credit check, makes any necessary deposits, I don't see how the land lord should be held responsible for unpaid bills. I guess every provider is different, but this could go wrong for land lord in so many ways.
Sounds like the village does not want any responsibility/risk for its own customers?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

More punishing success to reward failure - it's the socialist dream! What can possibly be wrong about it?

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by 95avblm3

Here, the tenant is responsible for obtaining service (electric, water, gas). The utility companies check credit and may require a deposit. If utilities aren't paid, it's on the tenant.

This is pretty much universal.

I would fight your Villages intention to pass that ordinance.

[legion]

If this passes, put your rentals up for sale. The unintended consequence of this kind of market intervention by a government is there will soon not be any rentals left.

[mdj930]

Just include utilities in the rent. then don't rent to scumbags who would leave the water on 24 hours to screw you.
Mike

[recycled sixtie]

I think you have to build in default on utilities in the damage deposit if they have that kind of legislation. It seems that the law is swinging towards the tenants. You have to protect yourself.

It is so important to do a background check, get references on prospective tenants. I have not had any problems with non payment by our tenants because overall we have had good tenants.

Tenants are tenants for a reason....

Guy

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by legion

If this passes, put your rentals up for sale. The unintended consequence of this kind of market intervention by a government is there will soon not be any rentals left.

Yep. I was going to mention something about this but figured why bother. The "solution" of course will be to set up government-run housing for everyone who doesn't own, paid for by those who do.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Yep. I was going to mention something about this but figured why bother. The "solution" of course will be to set up government-run housing for everyone who doesn't own, paid for by those who do.

Or it could be a different intent. We're more crony-capitalist than socialist. It could be designed to favor the larger property management agencies whom have the money in their accounts to cover delinquent utilities (thus preventing liens) and can take swift action against those tenants.

Versus the common property owner/investor with 3-4 properties and almost no budget to handle those things.

I would say the counter to your village instituting these rules would be for the 'Village' to now be the ones to mediate between the utilities and the tenants.

It sounds to me like the utilities have a friend or two in your village's administration.

[wdfifteen]

Good point, Brando.
It's common in Ohio for municipalities to own the water and sewer utilities. Our village owns the water, sewer, and electrical utilities and contracts for trash. The only utility residents buy on their own is gas.

[TheMentat]

Quote de Porsche-O-Phile

Yep. I was going to mention something about this but figured why bother. The "solution" of course will be to set up government-run housing for everyone who doesn't own, paid for by those who do.

Or it could be a different intent. We're more crony-capitalist than socialist. It could be designed to favor the larger property management agencies whom have the money in their accounts to cover delinquent utilities (thus preventing liens) and can take swift action against those tenants.



Versus the common property owner/investor with 3-4 properties and almost no budget to handle those things.



I would say the counter to your village instituting these rules would be for the 'Village' to now be the ones to mediate between the utilities and the tenants.



It sounds to me like the utilities have a friend or two in your village's administration.

My thoughts exactly... This ordinance has nothing to do with protecting tenants, it's for protecting the utility company. Complete bullshyte, and hard to fathom why any property owner would stand for it.

[Rusty914s]

Call the Village People, they work on these types of issues at all times.

[Bill Douglas]

I had an electricity+gas company go after me for years because of this sort of situation. I won ultimately because they didn't know my name to take me to court. But I could have done without this s***.

The municipality out to get you is a whole different story; you won't win this one.

[fastfredracing]

I have a true hatred and disdain for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer authority. I had a main break in my very first rental house. I called the water co. emergency line to have them come shut it off. Took them 36 hours to respond, and when they came, they could not find their own shutoff valve. The water ran for 5 days in my poor little rental house. It was a gusher.
To add insult to injury, while I was demo' ing the place to begin to put it back together, I got the 4k water bill from them. They would not wager, and leaned the property till I could pay it off.
If this happens in your village, tenants will be operating fly by night car washes, and filling swimming pools on the side. You can count on that.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by mdj930

Just include utilities in the rent.

And in the winter, with the electric heat keeping the house a nice, warm 75 degrees, the windows will be open for a bit of fresh air.

That's what happens when electricity is "free".

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

Tenants are tenants for a reason....

Guy

You mean like folks first out of college, working low-paying jobs to get experience in their fields? My wife and I were tenants for 12 years. We never left a place worse than we got it - in fact, I was always about making the place better. I often fixed stuff on my own dime, and was never, not even once, late with rent.

No, not all tenants consider the owners regular people like everyone else. Yeah, that sucks. But that's a pretty broad brush you're swinging with all that tar...

[look 171]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

You mean like folks first out of college, working low-paying jobs to get experience in their fields? My wife and I were tenants for 12 years. We never left a place worse than we got it - in fact, I was always about making the place better. I often fixed stuff on my own dime, and was never, not even once, late with rent.

No, not all tenants consider the owners regular people like everyone else. Yeah, that sucks. But that's a pretty broad brush you're swinging with all that tar...

Its broad brush to paint so we protect ourselves based on past experiences. There aren't too many like you out there.