Utilities

Division Of Student Affairs; Western Michigan University


Utilities & Tenancy:

Utility services are essential to the health and welfare of everyone. Fo r tenants, regular utility service can become a problem, because tenants, unlike home-owners, often have little control over the provision of util ities within their rental unit. In some tenancies the tenant purchases t he service directly from the utility company. In others, the landlord pu rchases the utility service and passes the cost along to the tenant by in clusion in the rent.

If your utilities are unexpectedly shut-off, the first thing you should d o is contact the utility company to determine whether the company or the landlord is responsible for the shut-off.


Shut-Off By LandLord:

It is unlawful for a landlord to terminate or interrupt any utility serv ice. (See brochure entitled Illegal Evictions). A landlord is breaking t he law whenever he/she causes a utility service to cease whether by his/h er own act (e.g., removing fuses or by failure to act (e.g., failing to p ay a bill). THIS IS TRUE EVEN WHEN A TENANT IS BEHIND IN RENT. If the s ervice was not shut-off by the utility company for nonpayment, request th at a serviceman be sent to the property to attempt to restore service. I f the landlord is present when the serviceman arrives and refuses to do w hat is necessary to restore service, contact the police and request that an officer be sent to the property. The officer cannot force the landlo rd to restore service, but hopefully his/her presence will be enough to convince the landlord to do so. It will also provide a record should cou rt action become necessary.


Shut-Off By Company:

If the utility service was terminated by the utility company upon the lan dlord's request or because of nonpayment, the utility company must offer you the opportunity to begin service in your own name. The utility compa ny cannot force you to pay the past-due bill or to pay a deposit if you d o not have a bad credit rating with the company. (This applies only to r esidential gas and electrical service.)

If utility service is separately metered for each unit in a multiple unit dwelling, service may be started in the tenant's name. If the units are not separately metered, the tenants can pool their resources and pay for service with their rental payments.


Insufficient Heat, Hot Water or Electricity:

Investigate the problem thoroughly by contacting your landlord, the utili ty company, other tenants in the building or a building inspector. Make sure the problem is communicated to the landlord. Those tenants who are eligible can seek assistance from the Office of Off-Campus Life, 387 -2336. Others in Kalamazoo County are advised to seek assistance thro ugh Legal Aid or an attorney of their choice.


OFF CAMPUS LIFE
3510 Faunce Student Services Bldg.
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5077
Phone: (616) 387-2336
Fax: (616) 387-2325

Original HTML by Timothy Strunk