Am I responsible for the entire water bill as a second-floor tenant?

Full question:

I am renting the 2nd floor of a multi-family house with three (3) apartments - basement, 1st floor and 2nd floor. My lease states the landlord is only responsible for providing heat and not water, electric or gas. There are two (2) electric and gas meters but only one (1) water meter. I am currently paying the electric and gas for the meters designated for the 2nd floor. The landlord gave me the water bill for the entire house, am I responsible to pay for the entire bill?

Answer:

You are likely responsible for only a portion of the water bill. Since you occupy only the second floor, you can prorate the total water bill based on the number of units in the building. This means you would pay a share of the bill that reflects your usage relative to the other apartments.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

FAQs

The 3x rent rule typically means that a tenant must earn three times the monthly rent to qualify for an apartment. This rule is not legally mandated but is commonly used by landlords to ensure tenants can afford their rent. While some landlords may strictly enforce this rule, others may be flexible, considering factors like credit history or additional income sources.