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Updated almost 9 years ago, 01/24/2016
Utilities Swap
I know there are threads about utilities etc already but I am in an interesting situation and looking for some feedback.
I moved out of state and the tenants in my house intend to buy it after leasing for one year.
I am using a rental company and they confirmed while checking the tenants history that their credit was good aside from losing their house during the market crash (which they told me) and that they have never been evicted, and have no other issues with not making payments. Their last landlord vouched for them that they were good tenants who took great care of the house and he had no issues with them, they left because he wanted to renovate his rental so it was a mutual parting.
They moved in OCT 1, so when I got a bill going up to OCT 11th I thought nothing of it, just assumed they had swapped utilities to their name and the cycle just said the 11th to the 11th, and the bill was only a little higher than that of the vacant house bills. However I just went through my bank account and saw that I got charged full utilities costs for this last month. The bills were not insanely high, about $120 total for all the utilities which is about the same I paid when I lived in the house. But its clear the tenants have not moved anything to their name. I did specify that tenants pay utilities.
I would prefer not to evict these tenants. The rental company is supposed to contact them to move things over and perhaps I am being too trusting but I believe they will move them over once they are told to. But am I able to get my money back for the utilities? Its not much, just $120. But the rental company has been... dissapointing so far. In fact I have yet to receive any rental money from the rental company because they didnt deposit as I requested, instead sent me checks without telling me. First check was lost and has not been re-issued. Second check has yet to arrive. Am I just going to have to eat that $120? Can I charge it back to the tenants? The rental company doesnt have an answer for me.