2007-05-25 17:45:22 · 13 answers · asked by Janet D 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
IMO, yes, but legally I don't think there's really much you can do to make them pay the electric bill. You CAN however make them fix the water leak, see a lawyer for more advice as to how to go about doing that.
-Duo
2007-05-25 17:49:05 · answer #1 · answered by Duo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends. Did you report it in writing as required by your lease? Did you keep a copy of the letter and proof of mailing? Finally, how long did it take for the landlord to repair the leak? And what did you do to mitigate your losses? Did you shut the water off at the water heater when it wasn't needed, or did you just let it continue to leak?
As you can see, there is no cut-and-dried yes or no answer to your question.
If you gave the landlord timely notice of the leak in writing and he fixed it within a reasonable period of time -- a week or so would be reasonable for a non-emergency waste repair, IMHO -- and you took measures to minimize your losses then the landlord probably does not owe you for the excess electricity bill.
On the other hand if the landlord let it go for several months despite proper notice and there was no way to reasonably stop the flow of leaking water then you may have a case.
If you didn't make proper notice of the problem and / or didn't take reasonable measures to minimize the waste, the landlord owes you nothing.
2007-05-25 17:58:56 · answer #2 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the cause of the high bill was due towater leaking and the electric hot water tank stayed on constantly you might have a be justified IF you reported the problem and the Landlord did nothing.
If on the other hand, you reported to problem after you got the high bill and the land lord fixed the problem then at best I would think you guys should split it.
Basically, if the guy didn't know there was a problem until after the fact then what could he do? If he was neglected to fix a reported problem then he sould make it right by you.
IMO.
2007-05-25 17:55:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's no way to prove that a hot water leak caused a high electric bill. And the tenant always had the option of shutting the hot water off when not in use.
2007-05-25 17:51:52 · answer #4 · answered by Brian G 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you reported the problem and it wasn't fixed you should receive some compensation for the extra power you had to pay. But you would probably have to take him to small claims court and you would need proof that he was notified and have all of your calculations correct such as the amount of your bills and usage up until the moment the leak started to calculate properly. Place an ad on Craigs list or Myspace for a recommendation for an Attorney in your area who has more knowledge of real estate and tenent cases to see if it would even be worth the time and trouble to pay them, court filing fees, and the time off of work.
2007-05-26 05:35:08 · answer #5 · answered by AuntieKJ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is all fair per Yahoo. They will not respond to requests. WB has at least 6 votes, accounts, and that is why there are 6 downs on all else and 6 ups on his answers. Have you noticed that his Best Answer's are usually won by a margin of 6 to something? Until more than 6 people start voting against his pathetic attempts he will continue to screw-up the intent of this site. With all his votes he still can only get a 34% ratio. I have spent more time in Engineering and got away from DIY and Maintenance to avoid his game. I enjoy getting Best Answers, but I am not excited to have a good answer voted out by his 6+ votes for a "yep". Can you say BS? It will take more than one to correct this issue but a good collection of honest people will at least give the offender some issues. Please Help. He is the Top Points Contributor for DIY, just look at all the crap he has provided, sick isn't it? Update: It appears he has one more account, he recently started applying 7 votes for his "Yep".
2016-04-01 08:51:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well yes of the landlord should handle their end and when they don t want to comply they are labled a slum lord my light bill is 1001.00 due to a water leak in which the light bill place only took off 200.00 remind you I am the only one living there haven t fully moved in yet and I received a light bill that high my problem was the hot water heater had the knob off and that caused it to leak that much water in which my landlord crooked *** said that he was broke but how you broke when you have all the houses that you collecting rent on so what happens when your property goes wrong eddie? I bet he is living comfortable I hate slum lords
2015-12-29 10:28:30 · answer #7 · answered by shana thomas 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes defiantly, present your landlord with a certified letter stating the problem, also tell him in your letter, you will deduct the amount over your average usage from your next rent payment. When the rent is due, deduct the the amount over your average usage for this time of the year. Hopefully he will correct the problem. It is illegal for him to ignore this. You cannot collect for past bills. Keep a copy of your letter to him in case he wants to retaliate. Good Luck
2007-05-25 18:01:40 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Something as simple as fixing a water leak should be taken care of without harassing the owner.
2007-05-25 17:56:03 · answer #9 · answered by hiker 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
only if it can be proven beyond a doudt the water leak cause the electric bill explosion.
2007-05-25 18:15:09 · answer #10 · answered by fenlor1 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋