Tenant not paying share of bill

[jdwilliams]

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

I had a tenant who was under a lease until last December where he then just went month to month not under a contract. He paid all his bills (which were under my name) and his rent through April. He paid May Rent and left at the end of May. May bills were posted in mid june and he is now not returning ant of my calls or messages to pay his share of may bills. I know he was not under contract, but he was still living there, I have proof he was from other tenants living there and from the rent he paid in May. Is there anything I can do to get this money back?

 

[latigo]

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

I had a tenant who was under a lease until last December where he then just went month to month not under a contract. He paid all his bills (which were under my name) and his rent through April. He paid May Rent and left at the end of May. May bills were posted in mid june and he is now not returning ant of my calls or messages to pay his share of may bills. I know he was not under contract, but he was still living there, I have proof he was from other tenants living there and from the rent he paid in May. Is there anything I can do to get this money back?

How about small change. . . err . . small claims court?

 

[jdwilliams]

How about small change. . . err . . small claims court?

Not quite sure if that was a slight towards me, but I didn't know if I have something to go off of since he was not under written contract. When your about to get married, every penny counts.

 

[Zigner]

Are these requirements spelled out in the lease?
Withhold the amounts due from his security deposit.

 

[jdwilliams]

Are these requirements spelled out in the lease?
Withhold the amounts due from his security deposit.

Bill pay was never spelled out in the lease. It was simply a verbal conract in which all four of my tenants agreed to and acted upon all the way through his their stay untill the very last month, one of them decided not to pay.

 

[Zigner]

I suspect you're not going to get anywhere with this. You can sue in small claims court, but your case is weak, at best.

 

[Who's Liable?]

Bill pay was never spelled out in the lease. It was simply a verbal conract in which all four of my tenants agreed to and acted upon all the way through his their stay untill the very last month, one of them decided not to pay.

Absent a written contract, the state automatically creates a month-to-month contract. It does so to protect the tenant and the landlord.

All bills must be paid if they(tenant) used them at the time they were living there. The only time this would be different is if the lease contains specific language stating utilities are included with the monthly rental payments.

You will need to sue said tenant in small claims court OR deduct from the tenants security deposit. You must also return the security deposit within the allotted time frame per your states LL/T laws.

Next time, get a WRITTEN contract.