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Pooka
Oh Happy Day!!
Member since 11/06 5689 total posts
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Renting/landlord/electric bill question
My lease on my apartment expired and I've been paying month to month. The house is for sale. My landlady is strapped for money. My lease stated that all electric was covered. She gave me permission to get air conditioners b/c it was upwards of 84 degrees in the apartment last year. I put my air conditioners in yesterday and my landlady texted me saying she will not be covering the electric bill this year. She told me that last year the bill was over $300 and she only has 2 meter. Do I have grounds to not pay the electric bill?
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Posted 5/31/12 12:10 PM  |
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jams92
Member since 1/12 6105 total posts
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
its a tough one...if you have no active/valid lease with her now, i would guess you dont have to pay is (i assume its in her name not yours?)
however, if you dont pay it you risk her possibly evicting you?
maybe tell her its not in your budget to pay for electric since that was never the agreement but you understand her position and would be willing to split it?
Message edited 5/31/2012 12:20:39 PM.
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| Posted 5/31/12 12:19 PM |
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Cheeks24
Living a dream
Member since 1/08 8589 total posts
Name:
Cheeks
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
I would tell her you will cover a portion of it now because of the AC.
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| Posted 5/31/12 12:24 PM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
Since you are on a month to month the terms of the lease are the current terms except for the fact that you do not have a year lease...the term is now 30 days.
So yes you can say I am not paying but my guess is she will ask you to sign an amendment saying that you will now pay the electric. Since it was not an issue until the AC units I would offer to pay a portion of the bill. Its either that or you will probably be looking for a new place.
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| Posted 5/31/12 1:05 PM |
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sameinitials
insert creative comment here
Member since 2/12 1998 total posts
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
Posted by alli3131
Since you are on a month to month the terms of the lease are the current terms except for the fact that you do not have a year lease...the term is now 30 days.
So yes you can say I am not paying but my guess is she will ask you to sign an amendment saying that you will now pay the electric. Since it was not an issue until the AC units I would offer to pay a portion of the bill. Its either that or you will probably be looking for a new place.
or, you can say that you aren't paying and she can just take you to housing court to try to evict you, since you don't have a lease
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| Posted 5/31/12 1:15 PM |
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VanderZwang
LIF Adolescent
Member since 2/11 740 total posts
Name:
Gail
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
Posted by alli3131
Since you are on a month to month the terms of the lease are the current terms except for the fact that you do not have a year lease...the term is now 30 days.
This is my opinion as well.
You are NOT on the hook to pay electricity.
The one question is the meter. I dont know what you menat by "She only has 2 meter" (or whatever that sentence says). My GUESS is she does NOT have a separate meter for YOUR space.
If NO, then what do you pay??? Whats fair??? if her bill is over 300 does that you mean you pay ALL of it (which of course would include HER power).
You have 2 options:
1. Dont pay. Tell her to go scratch. (nicely). Be aware she might want you to sign a new lease, or try to evict you, which she can. It will take her a long time to do so. And if she does, I would pay the rent JUST like you had been doing, even if she is trying to get rid of you.
2. I would tell her that since electricity is included, but power goes up in the SUMMER because of Air conditioning, I would tell her you will give her an extra $50 for the summer months to cover the power for the air. WRITE IT ON THE CHECK: "temp adjutment for summer A/C".
Thats what I would do.
Message edited 5/31/2012 2:48:49 PM.
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| Posted 5/31/12 2:47 PM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
Posted by sameinitials
Posted by alli3131
Since you are on a month to month the terms of the lease are the current terms except for the fact that you do not have a year lease...the term is now 30 days.
So yes you can say I am not paying but my guess is she will ask you to sign an amendment saying that you will now pay the electric. Since it was not an issue until the AC units I would offer to pay a portion of the bill. Its either that or you will probably be looking for a new place.
or, you can say that you aren't paying and she can just take you to housing court to try to evict you, since you don't have a lease
Since it is a month to month she can give you 30 days to get out! SHe doesn't even need to go evict you unless you do not vacate after the 30 days.
The OP only has so much leverage since she is on a month to month.
ETA - OP I think I remeber you sayign you are in Suffolk COunty....eviction process does not take a long time. In some cases 30-60 days. It is very different than NYC. So the eviction route does not buy the OP much time.
Message edited 5/31/2012 3:09:22 PM.
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| Posted 5/31/12 3:07 PM |
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Pooka
Oh Happy Day!!
Member since 11/06 5689 total posts
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
Posted by VanderZwang
The one question is the meter.
If NO, then what do you pay??? Whats fair??? if her bill is over 300 does that you mean you pay ALL of it (which of course would include HER power).
2. I would tell her that since electricity is included, but power goes up in the SUMMER because of Air conditioning, I would tell her you will give her an extra $50 for the summer months to cover the power for the air. WRITE IT ON THE CHECK: "temp adjutment for summer A/C".
Thats what I would do.
Sorry, that was a typo. Yes, there is only ONE meter for the whole house. I am not on a separate meter. I told her last year that I would give her an extra $50 per month but she told me not to worry about it. Then this year now she wants me to pay the bill above and beyond what the regular monthly payment was (before summer started)
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| Posted 5/31/12 3:20 PM |
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sameinitials
insert creative comment here
Member since 2/12 1998 total posts
Name:
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Re: Renting/landlord/electric bill question
Posted by alli3131
Posted by sameinitials
Posted by alli3131
Since you are on a month to month the terms of the lease are the current terms except for the fact that you do not have a year lease...the term is now 30 days.
So yes you can say I am not paying but my guess is she will ask you to sign an amendment saying that you will now pay the electric. Since it was not an issue until the AC units I would offer to pay a portion of the bill. Its either that or you will probably be looking for a new place.
or, you can say that you aren't paying and she can just take you to housing court to try to evict you, since you don't have a lease
Since it is a month to month she can give you 30 days to get out! SHe doesn't even need to go evict you unless you do not vacate after the 30 days.
The OP only has so much leverage since she is on a month to month.
ETA - OP I think I remeber you sayign you are in Suffolk COunty....eviction process does not take a long time. In some cases 30-60 days. It is very different than NYC. So the eviction route does not buy the OP much time.
erm... yeah. i was simplifying it and giving the end result, since most people don't vacate after the 30 days notice (i am a LL/T attorney). i know the eviction route doesn't buy her time, my point was more that since she doesn't have a lease, the OP doesn't have any rights to stay there, ultimately, so saying that she won't pay anything could result in her being taken to court.
the OP - if i were in your shoes, i would start looking for a new place now. if she is selling the house you are most likely doing to have to get out anyway (unless the new owners want to give you a lease, which you'd have no way of knowing until the end of the process), and this way you would be ahead of the game to have already been looking
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| Posted 5/31/12 3:28 PM |
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