Rules on gas heating in apartments? Is my landlord ripping me off? (Chicago: rent)

[breakfastbabe]

So, I was wondering if anyone knew if this was legal or not...

I live in a courtyard building where there are many other units and I have radiators. I am in the garden unit, so the radiators strangely are located on the ceiling of only the kitchen and bathroom. When I moved in, the landlord told me that heat was not included and, since heat rises and the radiators are on the ceiling, all of my heat didnt heat my apartment at all through the winter. However, there is also a central heating system for my unit due to the crappy radiator heat. These two forms of heat (one of which was useless) were extremely expensive. Still with me? Well, a friend of mine told me that he thought that it was illegal for a landlord to charge his tenant for two types of heat. Does anyone know if this is the case?

Thanks for any help!

[hank0604]

While I do think you are getting ripped off, I don't think your landlord is doing anything illegal. If you have your own meter, I think you're out of luck. If the building is sub-metered, then you might have a gripe. Have you tried asking the LL to remove the radiator heating?

[Avengerfire]

It is quite possible you live in an illegal apartment.

[breakfastbabe]

Does anyone also know where I can find out more about this? Is there a website or a tenants' rights office in the city?

Thanks

[Avengerfire]

Maybe contact:

Chicago Tenant Rights - Tenant Right

Chicago

http://www.ihda.org/admin/Upload/Files/propertymgmt/AMforms/clrto.pdf (broken link)

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webpor...y-bro-12-6.pdf

[Ben b]

I rent a flat and my gas and electric are 1 meter , I give my landlord 20 pound and in return he puts 10 pound on , he says they both run together but if I say eat out all week and not use hot water I only get to use 10 pound electric please some 1 give me some advice on this