Can Landlord make you add water/sewer to rent? (apartment complex, leasing)

[QbanMinotaur]

I've been living a few years in a elderly apartment complex and recently was told that you had to add your water/sewer bill to the rent. Yes... I missed a few payments and was informed I had a balance due. I went to the leasing office and was told that as soon as they get my check, they remove off the top the water and sewer... off course, that makes me owe money for my rent, and they add a late fee. Can they do this? I was never told this when I renewed my lease.

[garyhitchcock]

Depends on what the lease states.

[rusty78]

Most people never read the original lease...no less the renewal!!!! We all assume that it is the same with no major changes...I would pull out the lease and start to read it over and see where they added the new charges. The best part...you probably were not the first one and won't be the last, so you may want to check with an attorney, perhaps the landlord tenant court, other tenants, etc...

If you can establish a pattern of them adding/changing the lease terms without pointing it out, you might be able to have the additional fees removed. But you will never know until you try!!! Remember, they have all sorts of programs to protect the elderly against scams - perhaps this is one?? Try you local political leaders, after all it is an election year!!

[QbanMinotaur]

The lease states that I am responsible for the electric and water and sewer. It doesn't mention that the water/sewer bill has to be added to the rent. It states that my rent is due on a certain day.... have 5 days to pay it, then they start eviction procedures.

[FreeAptFinder]

So your question is can the landlord amortize the agreed upon tenant monthly expenses into the monthly rent due?

[harry chickpea]

I'll be blunt. You agreed you were responsible for the utilities, and then you acted irresponsibly by being late in payment. At some point, a landlord has to step in. If a tenant were to move or die with utility bills outstanding, those bills would make that tenants unit impossible to re-rent until they were paid (at unjustified cost to the landlord). The landlord is doing you a favor by not evicting you and instead forcing you to be reasonably responsible.