Change in utility agreement

[conscious12]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nevada

I'm almost six months through my current lease. Stated in the lease I get charged a flat rate for water, sewer, electricity and garbage. Today I was given a notice that the landlord was going to be contracting through a third party company to individually meter each unit and charge on a usage basis instead of flat rate and I'm wondering if that is legal?

 

[FarmerJ]

Tenants can be billed for utility use even if its via sub metering or alternative formulas allowed by state law. BUT unless your lease says that the landlord can change terms mid lease with notice such as changes that would require you to pay a utility or say raising rents or changing other lease rules then your LL cannot force such a change onto you until your lease is up for a renewal where they can make such changes to your lease in writing. So carefully re read your lease then also take the time to use your states atty generals consumer web page links to look for your states rules if any are written at all about utilities billed to tenants by third party companies , if you cant find the information then send a email to your states atty general consumer services office and ask them for the information or where to find it.

 

[LdiJ]

Tenants can be billed for utility use even if its via sub metering or alternative formulas allowed by state law. BUT unless your lease says that the landlord can change terms mid lease with notice such as changes that would require you to pay a utility or say raising rents or changing other lease rules then your LL cannot force such a change onto you until your lease is up for a renewal where they can make such changes to your lease in writing. So carefully re read your lease then also take the time to use your states atty generals consumer web page links to look for your states rules if any are written at all about utilities billed to tenants by third party companies , if you cant find the information then send a email to your states atty general consumer services office and ask them for the information or where to find it.

While I 100% agree with this advice, you never know what's going to happen once there are individual meters in place. Its quite possible that the utilities could go down rather than up for any one individual unit.

 

[FarmerJ]

When I had the four plex and heat was included I had one tenant who opened a window on a nice spring day ( I had not moved that units thermostat out of the unit yet ) it was set to 75 and i went to basement and confirmed that sides furnace was on) so I get it for tenants who are not wasteful and don't set a units thermostat to jungle hot in the winter , or doesnt do things like taking 30 minute showers will be the tenant who saves money IF the utilities are sub metered. IF they are not going to be sub metered but split up by other formulas such as square footage and body counts and it was me i don't think id want to go that route since Id end up having to pay for some wasteful (cuss word)s over use. SO conscious12 ask your LL if they are going to use sub metering systems to determine who is using how much! if you are told they are going to use some other formula then insist on knowing what it is if its not going to be meters that measure just your use. Figure out what you want to do and that can mean moving at the end of your lease with proper notice of course. just so you know there really are very tiny micro meters that can be installed under your sinks toilet and even laundry hookups and bathtubs , they have made them so small and they can communicate with a central unit to help determine how much hot and cold water and sewer were used as well as sub meters that can calculate your electric use too just like a power co meter can