Q: I live in Ohio my property manager is trying to make me pay utilities that my lease says are covered by the landlord.
Is she allowed to do that when my lease clearly states “this is a utility y by the landlord”. My lease isn’t up until 4/30/23. Shes saying that there is new management and that she gave us a 30 day notice so we have to pay. Is this correct? I thought my lease was a binding agreement that stands for the 12 months i signed for. i told her to ask her attorney but she’s being stubborn.
I also asked her about giving me a new lease to sign then i will pay but she’s saying there’s nothing to sign and i have to just pay it.
A: Some property managers act improperly. They sometimes demand that tenants make a payment not required by the lease. If you don't pay it, she could file to evict you. You could then take your lease to court, and if your lease does not require you to pay it, the judge could dismiss the eviction. But an eviction is a permanent court record, even if dismissed, and can make it difficult to rent from a landlord who checks the records -- and most do check. So try to work it out with the manager to avoid an eviction filing, or retain a local real estate attorney to review the lease and communicate with the manager on your behalf.
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