MustangLvr
New Member
I live in Lincoln, NE in a brand new apartment complex where we have had a lot of problems. The latest one is this: we started out by paying for our own electric and cable/internet bills. Last month we got a letter stating that since we agreed, in the lease, to pay our own water bill we will now be getting a water bill. That is fine with me. The problem is that on our water bill that we received yesterday, there are also charges for sewer and trash. I am reading the lease and I believe it says that the owner can contract for sewer and sanitation but nowhere does it say we need to pay for sewer and sanitation.
The lease reads, "Resident will be responsible for scheduling the hookup and paying of deposits to the electric, water, gas, telephone, and TV cable companies. Resident will at all times keep electric, water, (and gas, if aplicable) service to Resident's apartment. If such service is discontinued for any reason, Owner may reinstate such service and charge the cost of such reinstatement and utility service to the Resident. Resident agrees to place waste and garbage inside a plastic bag before placing it in the dumpster located on the property. If permitted by law, Owner shall have the right at any time and from time to time to contract for service to the apartment community, including Resident's apartment, from companies providing electricity, gas, water, sewer, sanitation, telephone, or cable television service."
When we moved in the landlord did not say anything about having to pay for sewer and trash. The way I read the above paragraph, it sounds like the owner can contract certain companies to be the only ones to provide services to us, but we only have to pay for only those listed in the first sentence (everything except sewer and trash). If we have to pay for sewer and trash, I would think they would say that they could contract for those services and then the resident would be required to pay for any services they contract, but they did not say that. Am I reading the lease correctly or are we required to pay for these extra utilities?
Also, we were told that the water bill would be determined by how many people were in the apartment, not by how much water we actually use. We live on a golf course. I did not sign a lease that says I have to pay for their water usage to maintain the golf course - I signed one that says I have to pay for water used at my apartment, or so I thought. Can they charge us based on how many people are in the apartment or should they be charging us for what water we actually use in that apartment?
Thank you so much!
-Jess
The lease reads, "Resident will be responsible for scheduling the hookup and paying of deposits to the electric, water, gas, telephone, and TV cable companies. Resident will at all times keep electric, water, (and gas, if aplicable) service to Resident's apartment. If such service is discontinued for any reason, Owner may reinstate such service and charge the cost of such reinstatement and utility service to the Resident. Resident agrees to place waste and garbage inside a plastic bag before placing it in the dumpster located on the property. If permitted by law, Owner shall have the right at any time and from time to time to contract for service to the apartment community, including Resident's apartment, from companies providing electricity, gas, water, sewer, sanitation, telephone, or cable television service."
When we moved in the landlord did not say anything about having to pay for sewer and trash. The way I read the above paragraph, it sounds like the owner can contract certain companies to be the only ones to provide services to us, but we only have to pay for only those listed in the first sentence (everything except sewer and trash). If we have to pay for sewer and trash, I would think they would say that they could contract for those services and then the resident would be required to pay for any services they contract, but they did not say that. Am I reading the lease correctly or are we required to pay for these extra utilities?
Also, we were told that the water bill would be determined by how many people were in the apartment, not by how much water we actually use. We live on a golf course. I did not sign a lease that says I have to pay for their water usage to maintain the golf course - I signed one that says I have to pay for water used at my apartment, or so I thought. Can they charge us based on how many people are in the apartment or should they be charging us for what water we actually use in that apartment?
Thank you so much!
-Jess
