Q: Can my landlord increase rent 2 days before it's due and make me pay 2/3 of building's utility bills on shared meter?
My lease ended Jan 1. On Jan 18th my landlord informed me that I needed to sign a new lease and that though my rent would not increase I would have to start paying 2/3 of all utility bills for the building since the house is all on one shared meter with no way of knowing who is consuming more. On the 28th, I was informed that there would be an increase in my rent that was due 2 days later. Today I was told that the water bill is over $700 and the electric is over $600 and I have to pay 2/3 of it but they refuse to let me see any of the bills nor will they let me see any of the electric bills I have been paying a portion of for 2 years now. I do not want to sign the new lease until I know what the bills are running however they are threatening to evict our family if we do not sign a years lease by tomorrow. If I have not signed the new lease, but have paid the rent stipulated in my last lease, how long before they can make me move. Also am I obligated to pay the utility bills they want.
A:
Generally speaking a landlord cannot increase rent without giving notice. Some leases are written in such a way that any "hold over" tenant (someone who stays beyond their original lease term) automatically has a higher rent that is spelled out in the lease while in other cases the lease converts to a month-to-month tenancy at the same rate. While a landlord can offer a new lease on whatever terms they deem appropriate, they must give notice before changing lease terms and cannot evict without proper notice and going through the court process.
Tenants commonly pay for utilities but the lease should spell out who pays for what utilities. Typically water bills are paid to a municipality (county/city) and one can usually contact the government finance department to verify the amount of any water bill for a particular property. It is certainly reasonable to ask for a copy of a bill before contributing towards it.
If you face a threatened eviction you are strongly encouraged to seek legal counsel. Since you posted in Maryland, I presume the property is in Maryland, in which case you might want to call a landlord/tenant hotline, such as the one operated by BNI (Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc) for answers to basic questions. You might also want to find a landlord/tenant lawyer in the area where you are renting if you face an illegal eviction.
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