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.
Is there a possibility a utility would come after the property owner (landlord) if the tenant doesn't settle their obligations?
Not for a cell phone bill.
In some localities, water and sewer bill go with the property, so the landlord is stuck paying for it if the tenant doesn't. That's not everywhere, though. You have to contact your local utilities and see what the policy is.
Just from observation it is only the city owned utilities where the bill is attached to the property. Double check, though, because each location can be different.
I own one property where the sewer bill is placed as a lien against the property if it isn't paid. Late fees are outrageous, so I don't want to wait 2-3 months to find out the tenant hasn't been paying. So, I just pay it myself and the sewer utility is included in the rent. That's the only property I have where the utilities attach to the property and it is only the sewer and not anything else.
Is there a possibility a utility would come after the property owner (landlord) if the tenant doesn't settle their obligations?
The biggest problem with a tenant who doesn't pay utilities is that the utility will be cut off. No electricity or no gas means no heat in the winter which can result in frozen plumbing. Or rotten food in the refrigerator so that the fridge is ruined.
Water cut off means that the tenants can't flush the toilet and can't clean. You might end up with your bathtub full of poop and your landscaping dead from lack of water.
No phone is just a nuisance. You can't call the tenant, so every communication, you must get into your car and drive to the rental and post a written notice. But if also often means that the tenant can't have a job. Employers prefer to be able to reach their people and will rarely drive to post notices if they need to notify the tenant of anything, like a scheduling change.
One bad thing about real utilities, I have 14 days to refund tenant's deposit and probably unlikely to be able to discover if tenant paid closing bill until after that. OTOH tenant in this case is moving to a local home they purchased so the utility should be able to find them, or me if I have to take legal action.
I am planning on moving to another apartment. I have a year old PAID in full charge off of $600 from Verizon. I have: three other credit cards showing no missed payments. No other collections/judgments on record. No evictions. Been at job for 10 years and present apartment for 13 years. Good history with present apartment and paying on time.
Just based on this, how much would the charge off on my credit report hurt me in finding another apartment?
Thank you.
Based on the above, for our PMC, the charge off itself will probably not hurt you as much as your ability to explain it. Most times when a prospective tenant is denied based on minor issues, it's because they just can't explain why.
I'll say again, a spotless credit record with the exception of ONE charge-off to a cellphone carrier would not affect my "to rent" decision. I would base it upon credit score, other debt reports, income verification and a reasonable income:rent ratio.
Just apply for the rental and see. In my case I charge $35/adult resident for credit checking, and I consider only one tenant (or family) at a time, refuse to accept any credit report charges until previous tenant has been screened and rejected for valid reasons.
I refuse to accept simultaneous applications from competing tenants, or at least refuse to accept credit check deposits from more than one family at a time, and will not accept any further applicants' fees until first tenancy application has been refused for good reason.
I will admit I look at the applications and pick and choose who I want for a tenant first, and run credit checks on the best looking tenants on a priority basis. But that is all before I agree to accept credit check fees.
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.
