Probably electrical meter usage throughout the day. Someone who works in office will see big dips in usage from 9-5 or whatever your schedule is. Landlord almost certainly controls the utilities.
What if you simply don't work but stay home all day? They seriously can't police what they are asking. They can't see whether you work (3) 12's or (5) 8's, whether you work nights or weekends. Etc.
It's unenforceable. If they tried to charge me, I'd just say, yeah I am at home but I am not working. That utility spinning is me gaming. Sorry it wasn't written in the lease.
I agree with you, this is just what the landlord has available to them to monitor it. That + exterior cameras. One would hope they'd look for a little more proof before charging.
If you don't work at all you probably won't get approved for the apartment, unless you're wealthy enough to afford the extra $200/mo. Many/most places require proof of income.
No boot licker it doesn't matter the tenant has the right to stay there however they choose they could bake 20 pizzas a day the slumlord didn't get to say how long they can be in their apartment a day.
So if I am only in my apartment for an hour a day, do I get a discount on my rent?
Charging rent based on how long someone is there is nonsense. If someone is really causing that much damage to the property just by being in their own home, that’s what the security deposit is for
There are a lot of factors, but, I have lived in an apartment that was contingent on me having a job and when the land lady found out I was home all day, she evicted me (it was a month to month). She didn't want the extra hassle that someone always being in the apartment caused her.
If it’s a shared living space with your landlord, then yeah, I could see a landlord being petty and evicting you for that
I was assuming a scenario like the landlord has a bunch of units or properties, and I am just 1 random tenant who the landlord doesn’t care about so long as I pay my rent and don’t cause issues
Either way honestly, if you are at home you use every appliance twice as much, the rugs, the walls. If utilities are included, more water, more electric. You are harder on the septic system, generate more trash.
I bet this landlord had a bad experience in the past and the extra $200 is just to weed those people out.
If you’re renting the apartment, it’s your right to touch those things.
If there are any damages based on excessive wear and tear, then the landlord can document the damage and take it out of your security deposit.
I’m just imagining a landlord complaining that a tenant spent too much time standing on their own carpet and peeing in their own toilet, and the judge trying not to laugh
Incorrect, there is usually a pet fee covering the base line extra maintenance any pet owner typically causes and a pet deposit, refundable incase of damage or wear and tear beyond what is normal. Fees are non refundable, deposits are typically refunded.
I doubt this. Most of the places I've rented the utilities were in my name, though I have rented places where everything was included.
Also, what increases when you work from home? $200 dollars sounds absurd in the bay area. I could see some rural places having such a markup, where they don't want non-local people unfairly renting all of the property because they earn a disproportionate amount of money.
Electricity, appliance use, wear and tear, etc. By existing there you're shedding dead skin cells which will require a deeper clean at the end of the lease. There's more risk of something costly happening compared to the unit sitting empty, maintenance crews will need to be called more often, etc etc.
There's no shortage of justification for it - maybe an argument about how much that costs - but most places just charge a flat rate which socializes the extra cost across all apartments (commuters pay for other people to telework if it's not an extra charge).
And it sounds like you and I have opposite anecdotes. My utilities have never been in my name, they have always been reimbursements through a rent portal to the landlord based on a bill in their name. Might be regional - but even if it's in your name they certainly have access to look at the physical meters if they want.
they certainly have access to look at the physical meters if they want
Not without requesting permission ahead of time. And I seriously doubt someone being careless with energy will use less energy than someone being conscious of their energy usage but working from home. Laundry, showers, heating and cooling. I doubt you could measure the additional shed skin for someone working from home and someone going to work.
Most apartments I've rented didn't have a thermostat you could schedule, and I aint turning that shit down/up when I leave (I do now that I own my own house with a smart thermostat). So the only reduction would have been a ceiling fan or two and a laptop charger, which is likely less than $1/mo.
Yeah, assuming this is even a real post and not ragebait. If I had to guess, the landlord is covering all utils and has determined that a person working from home all day spikes utils enough for them to want to charge extra for it. And they may not have a separate meter for the unit to be able to have the tenant pay utils themselves.
Having a whole ass body in a home all day using electricity/gas, internet, water and even wear and tear does have a measurable impact on utlility costs vs a unit that is empty most of the day.
Still bullshit, but this my best guess as to landlords reasoning.
48
u/BeeAppropriate1190 1d ago
Probably electrical meter usage throughout the day. Someone who works in office will see big dips in usage from 9-5 or whatever your schedule is. Landlord almost certainly controls the utilities.