Move in without having turned on utilities ??

Question

My tenant needed to move in this weekend, Monday is March 1st and she needs to take out all her stuff from the place she is currently renting on Sunday.

She says she switched the electrical ( Duke Energy) for Monday but I have no proof. She also said she paid for the water to be turned on on Monday. Still I have no proof.

So now, would you still move her in ? I told her no. I really don’t want to be mean but ....

Mary M. · Answer

Why would you make them wait? Why assume they are lying? Let them move in and if the utilities did not get switched over have it done and bill them for the day they were in your name. Tenants are not evil nor are they adversaries. Treat them fairly and as how you would want to be treated until they do something to warrant you being an ass to them

Shanell Law · Answer

@Marisa Alvarez can you contact the electrical company to confirm the services have been transferred or activated in tenants name. I always have the utilities activated in my name during tenant turnover. It’s a great idea to have activated but alert the utilities companies when the property is vacant and they will in turn alert you if there’s any activity aka squatters. Hope this helps.

Anthony Wick · Answer

@Marisa AlvarezMy lease specifically says they cannot move in until the utilities are in their name. They don’t get the keys until I independently verify the utilities are in their name. No exceptions. Would you let them move in if they didn’t pay rent yet? No difference.

Wesley W. · Answer

I always check by calling in myself. I ask the representative to confirm that the utilities are no longer in my name. I am very clear to onboarding tenants that the utilities must be set up in their name before they are allowed to move in. There would never be a situation where I would make an exception.

Michael Noto · Answer

@Marisa Alvarez From lessons learned over the years filling dozens and dozens of units, do not give a tenant the keys until:- You verify with the utility company that all tenant paid utilities are transferred into their name.- They have paid you all of the money they owe for the move in. This means any security deposit and first months rent and preferably have them pay you in a bank check as opposed to a personal check the closer they are paying you to the day they get the keys. - All lease documents signed, initialed, dated where necessary. We send them in an email exactly what they need to do to get the keys to their apartment so there is no confusion. Sure it works best for them to move in on a weekend if they work during the week, but it isn't worth the risk for you.

Carl Millsap · Answer

@Marisa Alvarez did you turn the utilities off in your name? I would let the tenant move their stuff in as they may have to pay a fee to the previous landlord if they don’t turn in the keys by the first. Our lease says if you still have the keys or your stuff is still In the place on the 1st you owe for the month. We don’t prorate. We have utilities turned off in our name as soon as we qualify someone and sign the lease. We tell them the utilities are set to turn off. We also have our utility accounts password protected so no one can call and try to keep them in in our name.

Michael J. · Answer

I would make sure that you set them to be turned off before the tenant moves in. It can depend on the state laws but it is most likely illegal to turn off utilities once a tenant moves in so if the tenant decides not to put them in their name you are stuck billing them for the utilities and evicting if they don’t pay.

Sandy Gabin · Answer

When my units are vacant? I put the electricity under my name, and in order to change the name to the new tenant, I make the call next to the tenant and pass the phone so they would put it under their name. Did the tenant already give you the deposits? Did you give her the keys to the rental? Can you ask her to send a picture or proof maybe?

Account Closed · Answer

IMO, you are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Let them move in a couple days early (why not?), tell them to transfer the utilities, tell them you are turning them off on the 1st, then call the utility company on the 1st and tell them you want the utilities in your name turned off. If your tenant has not already done so, they will call to have the utilities turned on faster than you can say, "Alexa, turn on the lights". If they try to stay in your unit without utilities, you have much larger problems that ought to have been addressed before they ever received keys!!! Month to month!

Mary M. · Answer

I am honestly amazed at how hard you folks are. Maybe its class of units, but i would always err on the side of believing tenant and helping them (esp if they paid rent) - i mean even if they never paid you for the 2 days of utilities - that is a very minimal amountTenants will treat you as you treat them. And they are not the adversary (at least not in B class units) if your tenants are thei es you might want to change your screening process and finally your utility company probably has a program where the utilities automatically go in your name when the tenant turns them off this will save you a lot of hassle - assuming of course you have a good class of tenants