Is it normal for a landlord to have the tenant's pay for sewer, water, and trash?

[Raj S.]

I just purchased a rental property in Fishers, Indiana.  Is it normal to have the tenants pay for sewer, water, and trash?  In Hamilton county all of these items are paid for separately.

My property manager is telling me that we can have the tenant's pay for these items by putting that into the lease.  I'm worried about what happens if the tenant doesn't pay.  I know with items such as electric, phone, cable, etc the tenant is responsible and I won't be affected by whether or not they pay their bills.  However with sewer, water, and trash I believe that the homeowner is liable if those bills are not paid.  I would appreciate any advice.  Thanks in advance.

[Shane Setzer]

There should be a stipulation in the lease that says that their bill for water, sewer and garbage needs to be paid on time.  If these utilities are not paid on time, it is considered a violation of their lease, and they will be given notice to vacate.  Once they have vacated, you can deduct any unpaid bills from their security deposit.  Just make sure to have a security deposit agreement and add this to the list of expectations for return of the deposit.

If you have a good property manager, they will stay on top of this, will know when the bills are not paid and notice the tenants.