The landlady wants me to pay for the other tenants utilities. What shoud I do?
By oscarbartoni
@oscarbartoni (2581)
United States
December 24, 2011 1:33pm CST
My landlady just had me sign a lease on the house that I am renting. There is an apartment downstairs and she wants me to pay for thier utilities plus she put in there that I will now be paying for using the garage (which I had not been playing). Also she wants me to get rid of all of my empty aquariums (which are in the living area of the house and not in the garage). What would you do? Take her to court to have her put in seperate meters for each unit? I am in the process of trying to buy a house and do not have much spare money right now.
2 people like this
10 responses
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
24 Dec 11
And you signed it? Move out, as soon as possible - you got very, very badly screwed.
1 person likes this
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
24 Dec 11
There is nothing in the lease that says that I have to pay the utilities so I will check with a couple of lawyers to find out what rights that I have that do not cost much if anything.
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
24 Dec 11
If it's not in the lease, you don't have to pay it or do it. You ONLY have to pay for your own utilities and you could probably force the owner to install meters for every room, separately - otherwise they'd be facing a very serious court case for unfair rent (and depending on where you live, that can be REALLY expensive).
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
25 Dec 11
Spike's right. If other units aren't involved in your payment and contract, don't pay for it. The landlady wants to rip you off in that scenario. You only have to adhere on what is stated in the contact and the landlady can't force you to pay for things which aren't included. She may ask you to move things or do some favors but you don't have to take everything she says as right and true.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
26 Dec 11
I hope you buy your house soon, friend. If what the landlady is written on the contract and you signed, there´s not much you can do. If it is not, then you can take her to court. But anyway, if you take her to court, she can make your life quite unpleasent. So, let us hope you have your own house soon.
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
26 Dec 11
I now have to get enogh money together to insure the house for a year. I am having my insurance angent get me a quote for the insurance so that I can get this money together before the closing of the paperwork on the house. I wil have to have prof that I have insurance on the house for a year before I can pass the paperwork. There are three other people that will be living with me and they are going to share the cost of the house with me so that each of us will be able to save more money in our own saving/checking account. We have already wrote down rules abut what is expected of us individually and collectively.
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
28 Dec 11
The house will be in my name but it will belong to all of us because we will all be paying our fair share. This will help us to be able to save more for ourselves. We will not have to be paying as much as we were paying for rent at the places that we are living right now. Plus the places that each of us is living at right now are very depressing and we wish to be able to live our lives in better harmony and good spirits. We will each have more liberities in our lives plus we each ahve many of the same hobbies and desires. We will travel the pow wow trail in the good weather to sell our craft at pow wows and two of them do drumming so we will go to pow wows where the drum is so that they can do their drumming while the others are selling (and making friends). I like to run a "trade blanket" at pow wows where the vendors and other pow wow people will be able to socialize with each other and have some good trades with others there. We usually have them after the social meal on Saturday (and if it is a three or four day pow wow we will have it on every day except the last day which we use to pack up and leave for home.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
27 Dec 11
I hope everything turns out well for you, oscar. Are you going to be the owner of the house or does it belong to all of you?
@rajeev075 (1961)
• India
25 Dec 11
If you had signed an aggrment then you have to follow it, does you agree to pay for that before signing?
If yes then you will have to pay as it legal. If you haven't have those condtions mentioned then you must not pay. You ask her why should you pay for what you din't use? She must understand. I knew few of like these they try to be oversmart but need a good treament. Search a good house and shift if she force anything aginst what you have singed.
@asiacevillar (643)
• Philippines
25 Dec 11
you have absolutely nothing to do with the landlady's apartment downstairs because in the first place, you have your own unit in the area which you are ought to pay, You are not supposed to pay for their utilites and garage because it's not your problem anymore and having said that, you don't have a car. also, she's not supposed to meddle with what's inside your own unit since you're paying for it.
bringing her to court is one good legal way of solving this but that would be a time-consuming process, and perhaps could aggravate the situation. but it's all up to you pal.
If I were you, I'll find a new house to rent where you only have to pay fees that is due and by that you can save more money much more than where you are right now. Since you're own house is on the process.
@francesca5 (1344)
•
25 Dec 11
the problem with landlords/ladies is they aren't always rational people.
you don't give much background information about how long you have lived there or anything, but to me the most obvious reason why the landlady is asking you for extra money is because you are the most reliable tenant for paying the rent, and she is maybe feeling under pressure because of money problems herself and seeing you as an easy way to solve her own problems.
just say no.
you may need expert advice to deal with this problem, and don't rule out moving out, or just threatening to leave which may be a good negotiation tool, but just be firm with her.
@AshwinSajith (602)
• India
25 Dec 11
First and foremost my friend you should not have taken this apartment, but since now you have we have to consider some other alternative. I think the best alternative for you is to look for a new place for rent. I am sure you have signed the lease and it would say you can shift giving a certain no. of days notice.. SO just give her a hint that you are moving. This may result in 2 things
1. She may realize that she has been troubling you and stop bothering you and you may not need to pay for others. This happened in my case when I had a horrible landlord and when I told him I am moving away he just became sweet and I am having no prob now.
2. Things may not change at all and in that case I advise you to really look for a new place as you cannot put up feeling resentful for long.
Hope everything pans pans out well :) Cheers..
@clocks123 (1225)
• United States
24 Dec 11
i would move out and far away from your landlady. she is taking advantage of you. i wish you the best.
@AkatsukIJSN (211)
• Philippines
25 Dec 11
I think you should review the lease and see the arrangements that you have agreed upon. If the contract you signed specifically says that she can charge you with these expenses, you can't do too much about it. Otherwise, I would also suggest searching for a better accommodation.
@hyacinthtamayo (69)
•
25 Dec 11
Sad to hear about that..but if I were you instead of renting a house you but your own house because it's just the same you're paying a lot of money for renting compare to buy your own house. It's hard to stay in a house that there's a lot of eyes looking at you compare to have your own you can do what you wanted to do anyways.
