Should Roomate Help pay bill?

Question

Okay, our lease is up for our apartment Aug. 31st. My roomate is planning on moving out at the end of july. Should she still be responsible for splitting the cost of the electricity bill with me? I personally think she should, becuase she is binded to this lease until Aug. 31st and it's not like I'm going to pay her aug. month's rent just because she's not living here.

We are not getting along well at all and I have a feeling she may say something like "i wasn't here for the month of august so I shouldn't have to pay half the electricity bill" I'm sorry, but since she is binded to the lease I think she should, even if she is moving out early, she is still part of the lease.

Answer 1

I can understand you asking her to pay the rent, as she should be responsible for it considering she is in the lease agreement, however you have no grounds to ask her to pay half the electricity bill if she's not going to be there, as it is something based on the monthly use of electricity.

She does owe you the rent money yes, but not the electricity bill. Besides, with her gone your bill should be lower, less lights on, less hot water used, etc. etc.

The lease is a legal agreement, however the electricity is a seperate account and she does not owe you for the last months electric.

Answer 2

Well... you're not going to like my answer... But I think you are trying to beat a dead horse here. Sounds like the lease on the apartment was for rent only and the utilities were paid seperately by the renters. I am also assuming that you split the utility bills 50/50 because you were both the people that used the utilities, phone, cable, electric, etc. So if the person on the lease for that month does not live there, then I would say she is not responsible for any of the charges incurred on the utilities for that month. You would be asking her to pay half of your expenses. She utilized zero percent of the electicity incurred in the charges for that month. So why should she pay for it? It sounds like she would be responsible for her share of the rent that month. Since you say your relationship with her is stressed, I think you should consider yourself lucky, if you can collect her share of the rent for August. I would leave it at that.

Answer 3

Why should she be responsible for paying for electricity she didn't use? Paying the rent is different because it's something that is a fixed payment and doesn't change depending upon usage.

Assuming you don't use a ton of "extra" electricity after she leaves, your bill shouldn't be more than half of normal anyway, so it will be essentially the same as your portion normally is.

Part of the lease has nothing to do with paying the electricity bill, it has to do with part of the rent.

Answer 4

The best way to put this is yes she should pay the rent. But remember if the rent is not paid in full the landlord has the right to kick you out and that can ruin your renting history. The best thing you can do is pay the rent and take your roommate to small claims court if it is that important to you. I would not try to collect on August electricity from her any judge would laugh at you, because she was not there to consume the energy. It was only you. Good luck.

Answer 5

I totally hear you about roomate problems. But I think in this case you should probably pay the electricity bill yourself. It can't be that high if it's just you right? The total would end up being about 1/2 that you would regularly pay?

Try to concentrate on her paying the rent. That's more important.

And remember to enjoy your month alone even though it may cost more money.

Answer 6

She should pay her rent, she shouldn't pay electricity. That's how it's working in our apartment. 2 (including me) of 6 roommates are living in the apartment this summer. The two of us are splitting the electricity and internet bill. If nobody was there, we would turn everything off and wouldn't be using electricity. We would also cancel our internet. Why would my absent roommates pay for the electricity I'm using. That's just dumb.

Answer 7

When it comes to roommates and leases, those who move out choose not to pay almost all the time. Unless you had it in writing that she would share everything until the lease is up, don't count on it. Chock it up to a loss and go about your business. It's not worth the stress of 30 or so dollars.

Answer 8

if you can get her to pay her half of augs rent...i would leave it at that...especially since it is true she will not be using the electricity for the last month and if the situation is already as it is with you not getting along you dont want to make it any worse...enjoy the last month with the place to yourself and let it go....some things just arent worth a pissing contest.

Answer 9

When you receive utilities, you pay for them every month on your usage. If you don't use any you don't pay anything. When you sign a lease you do promise to pay every month regardless of usage. I agree that she should pay for the sake of ethics, but not so from a legal standpoint.

Answer 10

Paying the invoice while it arrives is amazingly clever. in case you wait till in basic terms some days in the previous that's due and additionally you mail it out you danger the enterprise not getting the fee till after that's due. this could make her credit look undesirable. So she has each and every suitable to ask you to pay your component of the invoice while that's attainable in. yet an alternate decision is you pays a "deposit" of a month's lease. this could enable her to place the money in the economic enterprise and pay the charges while they arrive in and additionally you in basic terms pay on an analogous time each and each month. Then once you progression out you get that deposit quantity returned. not in basic terms will it shrink the stress between the two considered one of you, it is going to additionally enable you to have that extra money once you would be needing it the main. once you progression out. as that's tax return time you ought to have the means to arise with the money for to pay the extra suitable month. in basic terms make certain you get some thing in writing in case you elect to pay extra suitable. That way once you progression out you will not could desire to fret approximately her claiming you on no account paid it.