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Landlord wants to raise rent bec of a/c. How much $$?
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amother  


 

Post Mon, Jun 30 2014, 9:17 pm
Our landlord (in NY) wants to raise the rent for the summer because we have one window unit a/c. What do you think is a fair price?
Also is it fair that he just told us this now and not when we moved in?
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mirror




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 30 2014, 9:46 pm
I know people who pay $250 per summer for each A/C unit installed.

Life isn't fair.
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  amother  


 

Post Mon, Jun 30 2014, 9:47 pm
I pay $100 for each air conditioner every year.
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ElTam




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 30 2014, 10:05 pm
My electric bill goes from $60 in the winter to $120 in the summer with the two a/c units running. BUT, there is also wear and tear on the units. If they are not your units, each year they are used is one less year they can be used.

I would ask if you can see electric bill and how he arrived at his calculations.
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oliveoil




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:26 am
My landlord also told me utilities were included and then sprung an extra AC charge on me - $50 per month for 1 small window unit.
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SplitPea  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:34 am
Is it legal to spring It on you while you are renting? No. Is it done? All the time. Can you refuse to pay it? YES. Is there anything he can do about it? NO. What would most people tell you? Pay what he wants as long as its in line with what everyone else is paying and make sure everything is in writing.
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  amother  


 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:42 am
We are starting to rent out basement apt now and I tell everyone that sees it that utilities are included for first year. After that I will have to reevaluate based on how much the usage was.

Op, you can refuse but then he also has the right to refuse renewing your lease. If it is worth leaving the apt when you leave, then refuse because you are ethically and legally allowed to. however, the reason why split pea says what everyone says is because it's not worth losing an apt usually.
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  amother  


 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:43 am
I was going to say around $100 a month if used all the time.

If you're out a lot then I guess $50.

It really does use lots of electric.
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Scrabble123  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:43 am
I would nicely explain to the landlord that since it wasn't discussed before that it shouldn't be applicable this summer... Next summer iyh you'll pay for it. This is only applicable if he is a level headed, normal landlord...
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  Scrabble123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:45 am
Btw I don't know how often you use it, but a window unit doesn't cost more than $20-$30 a month to be used
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  SplitPea




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:57 am
amother wrote:
We are starting to rent out basement apt now and I tell everyone that sees it that utilities are included for first year. After that I will have to reevaluate based on how much the usage was.

Op, you can refuse but then he also has the right to refuse renewing your lease. If it is worth leaving the apt when you leave, then refuse because you are ethically and legally allowed to. however, the reason why split pea says what everyone says is because it's not worth losing an apt usually.


True to a point. But even if a lease is NOT renewed its almost impossible to evict a paying tenent in NYC and takes almost 6 months to evict a non paying one. If you are paying the agreed upon rent it would be impossible to evict especially if its an illegal apartment (which it seems like)

Keep in mind you need to live in that community and probably don't want issues.
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mille




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 5:57 am
Scrabble123 wrote:
Btw I don't know how often you use it, but a window unit doesn't cost more than $20-$30 a month to be used


Same here. We have radiators for the winter that we don't pay for, but we pay our electric bill. The difference between winter and summer is usually about $30. The most we have ever paid for electric in the summer was $120 total, but we usually pay about $90 for summer months and $60 for winter months. This is for a 2 bedroom apartment. If the apartment was advertised as having ac units included, it's ridiculous imo to charge $100/mo.

Then again, I don't live in a basement apartment nor do I live in Brooklyn or an area where basement apartments are common, so who knows if my experience is relevant!

edit: 2 bedroom apartment with TWO 12,000BTU wall a/c units. That may have been a little more relevant for the $30/mo figure LOL


Last edited by mille on Tue, Jul 01 2014, 6:14 am; edited 1 time in total
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mommyhood  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 6:13 am
I agree that one A/C doesn't cost more than $30 a month. I just checked my utility bills and ours went up no more than $70 last July and August and we have 3 units, one running the entire day and 2 in the bedrooms running all night.
It's really not acceptable that your landlord is springing this on you now but if you want to keep the peace and can afford an extra $25 a month it might be worth it.
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vintagebknyc  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 7:51 am
electric in NYC is really expensive. my bill quickly doubles in the summer, and that's for one AC unit.

but it needs to be in writing in your lease.
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 9:44 am
Is your electricity included in your rent? If not I definitely wouldn't pay it, since you're already paying the extra electric. Even if it is, I'd offer to pay starting with the lease renewal, since it's not in the contract. If you want to be nice you could offer to split the difference.
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chocolate chips  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 9:52 am
In our old apartment where electricity was included in rent our landlord told us if we use the ac a lot he will ask us to pay a bit extra towards the bill.
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  amother  


 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 9:54 am
amother wrote:
We are starting to rent out basement apt now and I tell everyone that sees it that utilities are included for first year. After that I will have to reevaluate based on how much the usage was.

thats different than my situation because you are being upfront about it before they move in.
We were told all utilities are included and then suddenly its not.
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  vintagebknyc  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 10:09 am
amother wrote:
thats different than my situation because you are being upfront about it before they move in.
We were told all utilities are included and then suddenly its not.


do you have a formal lease?
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  amother  


 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 10:25 am
vintagebknyc wrote:
do you have a formal lease?
No. We are living here over a year and he did not say anything last summer.
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  vintagebknyc  




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jul 01 2014, 10:31 am
so you have no lease at all?
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