Posted by Tim on June 21, 2007 at 14:11:48:
Around here this means they have skipped out on their utility bills at some point. The utilities are supplied by the city & they require the name on the lease to match the name on the utilities before they will turn them on.
Tenant wants utilities in someone else’s name - Posted by FrankIL
Posted by FrankIL on June 21, 2007 at 11:32:11:
My tenant and her husband want to put the utilities in their 19 year old sons name instead of their own. The 19 year old son will not be living in my property as he’s in college. Supposedly the wife has some illness problems and her son takes care of the bills for her. She pay him one check a month and then he pays everyone else. I told them as long as the utilities aren’t in my name then I don’t care who pays them. Everything else about them seems okay. Anyone ever encounter this? Is this a big red flag?
Re: Tenant wants utilities in someone else’s name - Posted by karen
Posted by karen on June 28, 2007 at 05:51:08:
It seems a little strange to put it in their son’s name. There’s no reason the bill can’t still be in their name and just have him pay it when the time comes. I had a roommate living with me once and that was the deal. The utils. were in my name but my roommate always paid the bill with a check in her name. No big deal. To me it brings up a red flag. Did you check out their credit history? Also have they recently relocated from another area or state?
Better yet - Posted by Wayne-NC
Posted by Wayne-NC on June 21, 2007 at 16:28:52:
Do put the utility in your name on the budget plan which is a fixed amount and agree that the rent will be raised accordingly. Or, if you really trust them, they just reimburse you for the budgeted amount each monnth (off lease) and you still claim as an expense deduction on your books. I have successfully done this and it is not exactly above board tax wise, but I made up for it in many other ways. Sometimes as in my case, the tenant couldn’t come up with the new service deposit as I had it for the property. This particular arrangement has been fine for 5 years and counting but don’t go by me. I always seem to find the exceptions to every so called rule.
Re: Tenant wants utilities in someone else’s name - Posted by ken
Posted by ken on June 21, 2007 at 14:28:01:
In my area it means they will not turn it on because they owe a previous bill.The son may not even know they are going to do it.Several years ago we occasionally would find out where parents were putting in the 10 year old kids name,since then the utility company has required better proof of who was living there.Nothing like turning 18 with a 5 year old power bill against your name