Utilities for Renting Your Place Long Term: Your Name or Theirs?

I have all my tenants pay their own utilities and adjust the rent lower to allow for it.

I don't want someone creating higher bills and then if they should not pay those become my responsibility. My rentals in PA all have well and septic so that saves the tenant some money.

Most dwellings that are multiple apartments usually include some utilities since the service comes into the entire building but if it's a house most tenants pay their own.

It is up to you if you want to pay them, but what if they like the heat set at 80 degrees or higher in the winter and the bill is much higher then you can cover.

I've never heard of a landlord paying for utilities, only things like garbage and landscaping/pool service.
I wouldn't do it. Some people are very wasteful and irresponsible, do you really want to pay for that?

Here's what will happen if you don't take the utilities out of your name. They won't pay, and YOU will be stuck. Your credit will take the hit, too.

Now, if you cancel the utilities, they HAVE to put them under their name. If they don't pay, the credit agencies report THEIR credit, not yours.

Either way, if the utilities don't get paid, they company will turn off the power. But I would MUCH rather my credit be good and the renter's credit be hurt.

Take the utilities out of your name. It will save you some real headaches.

The utilities need to go under the renter's name. That is the safest way to protect you and your credit.

IF they choose not to pay the utilities, then the utility companies go after the renter and not you.

I rented for short periods of time from just out of college until we bought a townhouse so we could stop paying rent and never were any utilities in the name of the owner.

Sounds like you are trying to be genuinely nice and a good landlord but you have to look out for you first in today's society, especially when it comes to money.

renters pay utilities in their name. that simple.

Picture this....people using the most electricity...water...gas...etc. because "hey, **I'm** not paying for it...oops...did I leave that faucet on all night?

No. THEY are responsible for what THEY use.

Their name. But just remember to switch the power back into your name right after (or maybe even right before) they move out. My friend bought a house that flooded in the basement the day after they closed on it. The previous owners had stopped the power service on the day of closing, so the sump pump didn't work when there were severe rainstorms the day after. I had a landlord friend who couldn't get into the detached garage because the renters turned off the power, and the only access to it was the electric garage door opener.

Their names.
That way they are responsible & don't just leave the lights on.

Their name. I think renters would be more conscience of closing the front door when the A/C or heater is on and the bill is in their name.

I am a renter and have always paid for my own utilities. I think when I lived in an apartment about 6 years ago they paid for gas and water but since then we have used private landlords and pay for our own

Put it in theirs for sure. That is how all rentals with utilities are done. They aren't in the land lords name they are in the renters

I'm a landlord. My tenents have all utilities in their names. Padding the rent means that if they don't pay their rent then I'm on the hook for everything including their utilities. No friggin' way will I let that happen.

Anything that fluctuates should be in their name (water, electricity, gas, etc.) and anything that stays pretty much the same can be included in rent (sewer, garbage, lawn, etc.). Sometimes renters feel like they are getting a better deal if they see that some utilities are included thus increasing the pool of potential renters.

Every place I've rented, we paid the utilities in our names. There must be a reason. Mainly, I think, is that if they fluctuate a lot, how are you to determine how much to charge them over and above rent? Most utility companies can give you an estimate of how much is used on average over the past year, but if the renters tend to leave every light on everywhere, use a lot of devices, etc..., it could be more than the average of the past year. I would have them put it in their name. Also, if they are bad renters, you don't want that reflected on you.

The bill should be in the name of the person paying the bill. I suggest you want them to pay the bill because you would have no control of how the renter uses the utilities.

I was recently told that in our county the owner has to pay for garbage pick up. This is to make Iit more likely for renters to take care of garbage. I've seen houses and yards piled with garbage because the tenant could't afford to pay for pick up.

If you don't know the landlord/tenant laws in your county I suggest you learn them.

I just signed a lease on an apartment for school, & got an eye-opening experience in the world of renting!

What I noticed (& I'm assuming this is not specific to my region) is that if someone is renting in an apartment complex, heat is likely to be included. Electricity & non-heat gas (such as for a stove) are the tennant responsibility.

If someone is renting a house/duplex/townhome/condo - all utilities are the responsibility of the tennant.

Regarding water/sewage/trash, etc. Typically I would see sewage/trash/property expenses being the responsibility of the landlord, & 50/50 the water being the responsibility of the landlord or the tennant. These were always fully covered for an apartment complex.

From a landlord perspective - you certainly don't want to be financially responsible for the consumption of your tennants. If they charge up a huge bill with the utilities, & do not pay it, I believe the utilities can only go after the tennant, as long as the bills were in their name. Here is some more info about that:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/renting/1048210-what-will-...

Regardless of if your tennants are energy-green, or energy-gluttons, those bills should be their responsibility. Any bills that are part of the property itself, regardless of usage, would be the landlords responsibility, as a result of the "maintenance" that is provided. Water can be included in this, at your discretion.

I would do a search in your area to see what properties are going for, & what is included. Make sure to look @ comparable properties, near your location. The apartment I am renting is a bit pricier than I might have paid in some other areas, but it is a very safe neighborhood, family focused, with clean, updated apartments in a complex that has outstanding ratings on the management & maintenance.

Keep in mind also, you may not be able to charge enough to cover the cost of your mortgage & bills. Property is an investment - you are maintaining/building on the equity you have in the house, as you pay down your mortgage.

Renting it can be considered an "offset to the cost", but realistically, if you run it like a business, any upkeep, repairs, etc. plus all payments you make for mortgage, taxes, insurance, property maintenance utilities, etc. will likely exceed the amount you could bring in for rent.

Not to say you can't cover all of your expenses, & then some, but it is not a guarantee, & a lot of people who are landlords (esp for more than 1 property) have little to no mortgage owed on the properties.

Best of luck, I hope you find good renters! T.

We used to just pad for our renters, but wound up getting burned during a really hot summer.
Now the utilities are all in their own names. No more issues.

The only time I have ever heard of a landlord covering utilities is when they cannot be separated. In other words, renting a room, can't very well wire the room, put a meter on the toilet. Sewer is one that I have seen common in units, sometimes water and sewer, because you can't meter it but then all the other utilities the renter pays.

Considering you are renting out your house there is no reason everything can't be in their name.

Put them in the renters name. Don't fudge on utility cost of you are asked. But don't leave them in your name. Should the renters bail on you you would get stuck for rent and also their utility usage.

I think that you know your home. You know how much the bills should run. If you are doing that short of a lease and make sure you do background checks to see their bill paying history you should be safe.

BUT plan on them doing something stupid and running up the bills. So don't make it exact.

What I'd do instead is just have some friends I really trust move in to house sit for that length of time. No rent or anything. Just paying the utilities on their part. They'd be doing you a favor and you wouldn't have the hassle of strangers living there.

If you can't afford to do that and need the mortgage covered I guess taking a chance on renters is the only thing you can do.