Are Landlords Required to Pay for Water and Garbage?

By Ryan Squires 

When setting the rental rate for a rental property or looking for a new place, landlords and tenants frequently ask: “Are landlords required to pay for water and garbage?”

Typically, landlords aren’t required to pay for these utilities. However, different states and cities have their own laws dictating what utilities a landlord may be required to pay for, so it’s critical to understand the rules governing the area where you operate your business. And for tenants, finding properties that cover, or at least partially cover, utilities can sweeten the deal.

Our comprehensive guide examines whether landlords are required to pay for water and garbage.

Key Insights

• Are landlords required to pay for water and garbage? In most cases nationwide, landlords are not responsible for paying these utilities.
• Some localities, including New York City, require landlords to cover water and garbage collection. Always check your local laws to understand your responsibilities as a landlord or tenant.
• The property type often dictates who pays for what.
• TurboTenant has state-specific leases from all fifty states and a robust maintenance and repair tracking system so landlords and tenants can communicate clearly about any issues that may arise.

Understanding Landlord Responsibilities for Utilities

Most landlord-tenant disputes regarding utility bills occur when the lease agreement contains ambiguities. This often comes up when no clear language specifically dictates who is and isn’t responsible for each utility, including electricity, phone and internet, water, garbage, sewer, and anything else that could qualify as a utility.

However, a few other things might arise while renting a home that might raise questions for either the landlord or the tenant.

Utility Usage and Fairness

In multi-unit buildings where tenants split the cost of the utilities, a dispute could occur regarding each tenant’s responsibility. For instance, if one unit uses an extraordinary amount of electricity compared to others, a landlord could require the offending unit to cover a high portion of the bill to maintain fairness among all renters. This solution isn’t allowed everywhere, so check your lease and local laws to see if you live in an area where this kind of dispute could arise.

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Maintenance and Repairs

In certain instances, a tenant could claim that a landlord should be responsible for a portion of a utility bill if regular upkeep and maintenance are lacking and the cost of using the utility increases because of it. Additionally, outdated appliances or other features in a unit could also increase utility costs, and a landlord might be responsible for addressing the issue or could offer to cover a portion of the related utility.

In all cases, tenants and landlords should keep detailed records of any dispute, and tenants should always continue paying rent in accordance with the rental agreement terms so that a minor dispute doesn’t become a larger one.

How TurboTenant Can Help with Utility Management

So, are landlords required to pay for water and garbage? As you’ve seen above, the answer can get a little complicated. In most cases, no, but there are situations where landlords may be required to cover certain utilities.

TurboTenant can help.

As part of TurboTenant’s all-in-one property management software, landlords can create iron-clad lease agreements demonstrating who is responsible for paying what and when. And with rental maintenance management, tenants can quickly spot a leaky faucet, create a maintenance request from their smartphone, and get the water bill under control.

TurboTenant makes solutions for renting and managing property for the modern age. Sign up for a free account today or invite your landlord to check it out and see how TurboTenant makes life easier for renters and landlords.

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