Am I required to call my landlord to find out how much I owe them?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I required to call my landlord to find out how much I owe them?
My water bill is attached to my rent and is not the same every month. This is the third month that they did not get me a bill before rent was due. They do not allow the water to be directly billed to me and the lease does not expressly say that they will provide me with a bill. Last month they charged me a late fee when I tried to pay it on the 4th (they were closed the 3 days before that). When I complained they said it was my job to call them to find out how much it was because the lease did not say they would bill me.
Asked on January 3, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Ohio
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Good question. It seems unfair to you to be penalized for a late charge where the water bill for your rental is not given to you until after the due date for the rent. I suggest that you have a face to face meeting with the landlord to discuss the best way to resolve this issue and follow up with the meeting with a written letter confirming the conversation.
Keep a copy of the letter for future use and need. One way to possibly alleviate the late charge is to pay a bit more than the usual water bill that you have had so that you have a continued credit of over payment so you will not be charged a late fee.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.