Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

Should our landlord pay the water bills?

In our rental agreement, line #7 reads;

7. UTILITIES: Tenant agrees to pay for all utilities and services based upon occupancy of the premises and the following charges:_______________ except water,sewer and trash which shall be paid for by the landlord.

When we asked the landlord about paying our water bills he said that the part about the landlord paying the water bill was a mistake in the agreement. He then told us that if we pursued it further he would be forced to raise our rent.

Do we have any rights or recourse in this dispute?


Asked on 2/08/00, 1:10 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Christopher Enge Law Offices of Christopher J. Enge

Re: Should our landlord pay the water bills?

I believe a court would interpret the lease to require the landlord to pay your water bill. Unless you live in a location with rent control, when the term of the lease expired, the landlord could raise the rent for the next lease.

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Answered on 2/09/00, 4:45 pm


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