Utility issues

[pensfanja]

My lease agreement only discusses Utilities as follows:
"Tenant to Pay all Utilities"

The issue I have is: I live in a duplex where the gas heat and the electric are on the same meter for both units. Is this legal in Pennsylvaia? No matter where my thermostat is set or how much electricity I use, I really pay part of the bottom unit also!

 

[djdj]

The landlord must pay the utilites if you dont have a separate meter or thermostat.

To force one tenant to pay is ILLEGAL, and to split it in half is also questionable, what if you are home all day and the other tenant travels 4 days a week, they get screwed.

So the fairest way is for the landlord to pay and for THE LANDORD to estimate the cost and raise the rent accordingly.

If the raise is too low then you will have a big rent increase when the lease is up.