Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Alot of the places that it isn't included have inefficient heating systems with sky high bills. Some of these electric heat because its the cheapest to maintain and the landlord doesn't care since he doesn't have to pay for it.
Totally agree - check if heat is gas or electric. Can make a HUGE difference in cost.
I lived in an apartment complex where the water, sewer, heat (it was steam heat from a furnace), and 50% of the cost of basic cable was included. I paid electric. It was an older building with 30 apartments.
It's worth looking for places with atleast some utilities included. It saves money because if you are paying everything, you have to put money down for deposits.
In the Pittsburgh area, it seems like the older apartment buildings tend to pay more of the utilities, especially heat. The houses, including the older ones, tend not to have any utilities included which is a pain in the winter time because of the high gas bills.
In the Pittsburgh area, it seems like the older apartment buildings tend to pay more of the utilities, especially heat. The houses, including the older ones, tend not to have any utilities included which is a pain in the winter time because of the high gas bills.
I've noticed that too, in many areas. I think that as a (multi-unit) building ages, it's cheaper to start adding more enticements (utilities included, cheaper laundry room, weekly free pizza, etc) than to remodel or raise rents.
I’ve lived in 4 apartments in the last 3 years and all of them required residents to pay for electricity and water. In some cases, they have contracts with certain companies, which makes it easy to set up.
My apartment pays no utilities. I pay water/sewer, cable, electric. This is standard for rentals in my city. I am in the south, so heat is part of the central a/C.
You are only going to get utilities included in buildings where utilities have never been separated out.
Once upon a time, water was so cheap that plumbing was simply run, connected, through every apartment and it all went through one meter. Now, water is too expensive to just give it to tenants for free. But on older buildings, it costs too much to retrofit every apartment with all brand new plumbing and it's own meter.
Heat will be included only if the entire building is heated by one boiler in the basenent.
Although, many landlords will pay for the garbage service, hoping tenants will use it instead of stockpiling garbage in the unit.
Utilities included does not mean utilities are free. Rent is raised to cover the cost.
I’ve lived in 4 apartments in the last 3 years and all of them required residents to pay for electricity and water. In some cases, they have contracts with certain companies, which makes it easy to set up.
You are aware that this thread is from 2011, right? It's now old enough to attend first grade.
OP's most recent post on city-data is over two years old.
Almost all apartments you have to pay for your own electrical use. Sometimes for a studio they will include the electric because it's so small you can't use that much electricity. Usually water is included too in apartments. When I lived in a cold area the heat was included too and I could not control it and they kept if very low and it was often cold.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hope it has a good year.
