Landlord/tenant rights, dealing with problems, where to get help...
Gas Bill
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cjohnson86 Posts: 1
Posted On: 5/15/2015
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Hi there,
I moved into an apartment building in Hamilton, Ontario about a year ago, and I signed the lease saying hydro and gas would not be included in rent. We were told the gas bill should be about $40 per winter month, but our bills have been between $75-$90, despite keeping the heat lower than what is comfortable, sealing windows, etc. Also, I was away for most of December and had turned our heat down, but still I was still billed the same amount and showed a similar usage as in other winter months.
So I have a suspicion I am paying the hydro for all of the 3 occupied units in the building, each of which has their own thermostat. I have visited my neighbour's apartments a number of times, and their units are kept nice and toasty warm. When I inquired if their heating bills are as high as mine, they gave vague responses without making eye contact. Also, when I asked to look at the meter (really just to see if there were individual meters for each unit), my landlord insisted he do it himself and give me the numbers.
I have not yet directly confronted my landlord about this, I wanted to know what my rights were but have found it difficult to find information on gas utilities specifically.
Is it possible to find out how many meters are on the property through the gas company?
Is it legal for one tenant to pay the gas bill for all units? Particularly if each unit has individual control over their heat?
If this is the case, is there any way to recoup my costs or at least change the situation be more fair?
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4075
Posted On: 5/19/2015
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Hello,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.
We can appreciate that you would be concerned about this situation.
You may want to contact the nearest Community Legal Clinic for some assistance and to find out what your options are in this situation.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.
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Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org
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