POLL: Should my roommate pay his share of utilities?

[shocksyde]

I see some great points in here so far.

I'm pretty much gone every weekend, but I'd never think of asking for a discount on utilities because of it.

The roommate that had mono and was gone for a month said he'll pay 100% of his utilities, and if the Beijing roommate wants a discount, there's no way i can add a portion of his utilities to mono-boy's. That wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to ask Beijing-boy to pay 100% and see what happens. If he's not happy I'll offer him 75%. If he's not happy with that, I'll pinch his nipples.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: cheezy321
If he was gone for an extended amount of time, then I would say he wouldnt have to pay utilities (3+ months, like a summer for example).

However, he is only gone a month and I think he should hold up to his portion of the deal and pay for the utilities.

where does one draw the line? a few weeks, few months?

1 month seems to be a good limit because utilities are billed on a monthly basis, roughly.

If the guy wanted to pay less one month, he should have asked before disappearing.

Plus, utilities need to be paid anyway (baseline costs + what is used). What would you do if everyone disappeared for a month? Tell the utility companies you weren't there, so you shouldn't have to pay? :roll: The only utilitiy I see being cheaper for the month would be electricity. Heating would still be required for his own room and common spaces; water is pretty cheap.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: lokiju
If he lived on his own he'd have still pay for them.

So I say yes.

Maybe you pay for water and electricity but he pays his full share for non-metered things like internet and phone?

But regardless I think he should pay his full share.

There are still baseline costs for those two metered services. Delivery charges and base costs that they charge you. Plus, what about the refrigerator? You don't exactly unplug that when people leave, so even if the roommate wasn't there, he is still using electricity by being a lease holder with a common-refrigerator.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I see some great points in here so far.

I'm pretty much gone every weekend, but I'd never think of asking for a discount on utilities because of it.

The roommate that had mono and was gone for a month said he'll pay 100% of his utilities, and if the Beijing roommate wants a discount, there's no way i can add a portion of his utilities to mono-boy's. That wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to ask Beijing-boy to pay 100% and see what happens. If he's not happy I'll offer him 75%. If he's not happy with that, I'll pinch his nipples.

No tell him he pays his share, 100%. If he doe snot liek that then as someone else said get a storage locker and be homeless.


I am not home for a week once on a business trip, should i not have to pay my mortage that time? Water fee?

You let him off this time then it will only get worse.

 

[oznerol]

You guys are funny.

I don't disagree with 100% of the bill - but I am positive if this question was the opposite everyone here would be against it.

What if he had a person stay with you for a month or what if he used far more electricity than everyone else for the month? You would all be saying he should be paying more than an equal share.

 

[boomerang]

Who would pay if you were both out of town during that time period?

Nobody? Obviously, the answer is that he pays 100%.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: cheezy321
If he was gone for an extended amount of time, then I would say he wouldnt have to pay utilities (3+ months, like a summer for example).

However, he is only gone a month and I think he should hold up to his portion of the deal and pay for the utilities.

where does one draw the line? a few weeks, few months?

1 month seems to be a good limit because utilities are billed on a monthly basis, roughly.

If the guy wanted to pay less one month, he should have asked before disappearing.

Plus, utilities need to be paid anyway (baseline costs + what is used). What would you do if everyone disappeared for a month? Tell the utility companies you weren't there, so you shouldn't have to pay? :roll: The only utilitiy I see being cheaper for the month would be electricity. Heating would still be required for his own room and common spaces; water is pretty cheap.

i never said make him pay nothing. just not 100%.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: ducci
You guys are funny.

I don't disagree with 100% of the bill - but I am positive if this question was the opposite everyone here would be against it.

What if he had a person stay with you for a month or what if he used far more electricity than everyone else for the month? You would all be saying he should be paying more than an equal share.

Wrong. I always paid my full share, even when I was gone for almost an entire Summer.

KT

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I see some great points in here so far.

I'm pretty much gone every weekend, but I'd never think of asking for a discount on utilities because of it.

The roommate that had mono and was gone for a month said he'll pay 100% of his utilities, and if the Beijing roommate wants a discount, there's no way i can add a portion of his utilities to mono-boy's. That wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to ask Beijing-boy to pay 100% and see what happens. If he's not happy I'll offer him 75%. If he's not happy with that, I'll pinch his nipples.

why are you even considering offering a discount?

 

[nace186]

Another idea is to ask the guy to sublet it for a month.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: ducci
You guys are funny.

I don't disagree with 100% of the bill - but I am positive if this question was the opposite everyone here would be against it.

What if he had a person stay with you for a month or what if he used far more electricity than everyone else for the month? You would all be saying he should be paying more than an equal share.

Split it evenly. If there's a humongous difference in energy use (running a data center in his room) and it's ongoing, negotiate that as a separate point.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: lokiju
If he lived on his own he'd have still pay for them.

So I say yes.

Maybe you pay for water and electricity but he pays his full share for non-metered things like internet and phone?

But regardless I think he should pay his full share.

Bingo.

Originally posted by: ducci
You guys are funny.

I don't disagree with 100% of the bill - but I am positive if this question was the opposite everyone here would be against it.

What if he had a person stay with you for a month or what if he used far more electricity than everyone else for the month? You would all be saying he should be paying more than an equal share.

Not if an equal share had been agreed upon.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I see some great points in here so far.

I'm pretty much gone every weekend, but I'd never think of asking for a discount on utilities because of it.

The roommate that had mono and was gone for a month said he'll pay 100% of his utilities, and if the Beijing roommate wants a discount, there's no way i can add a portion of his utilities to mono-boy's. That wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to ask Beijing-boy to pay 100% and see what happens. If he's not happy I'll offer him 75%. If he's not happy with that, I'll pinch his nipples.

why are you even considering offering a discount?

I'm not, I'm going to tell him he's gotta pay 100%. I don't need him thinking he can do this on a regular basis.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I see some great points in here so far.

I'm pretty much gone every weekend, but I'd never think of asking for a discount on utilities because of it.

The roommate that had mono and was gone for a month said he'll pay 100% of his utilities, and if the Beijing roommate wants a discount, there's no way i can add a portion of his utilities to mono-boy's. That wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to ask Beijing-boy to pay 100% and see what happens. If he's not happy I'll offer him 75%. If he's not happy with that, I'll pinch his nipples.

why are you even considering offering a discount?

I'm not, I'm going to tell him he's gotta pay 100%. I don't need him thinking he can do this on a regular basis.

75% is a discount...

 

[shocksyde]

Another twist is that our lease is very elementary and states nothing about utilities split. If he puts up a fight at all, I'll have everyone vote. I'd imagine he'd lose 3 to 1.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: shocksyde

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I see some great points in here so far.

I'm pretty much gone every weekend, but I'd never think of asking for a discount on utilities because of it.

The roommate that had mono and was gone for a month said he'll pay 100% of his utilities, and if the Beijing roommate wants a discount, there's no way i can add a portion of his utilities to mono-boy's. That wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to ask Beijing-boy to pay 100% and see what happens. If he's not happy I'll offer him 75%. If he's not happy with that, I'll pinch his nipples.

why are you even considering offering a discount?

I'm not, I'm going to tell him he's gotta pay 100%. I don't need him thinking he can do this on a regular basis.

75% is a discount...

I just told you I'm not going to do that. I was joking in the previous post in order to get to the "nipples" portion.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: shocksyde

I just told you I'm not going to do that. I was joking in the previous post in order to get to the "nipples" portion.

ok. thought you were serious about the nipple twisting. You never know these days.

 

[Triumph]

No way does he pay 100%. He didn't use any water or electricity. I'd say 25%.

 

[SirChadwick]

When he first asked you should have said Hell yes you're responsible for the month of rent.

That's all it would have taken. Don't let him out of it.

 

[tfinch2]

100%

 

[cheezy321]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: cheezy321
If he was gone for an extended amount of time, then I would say he wouldnt have to pay utilities (3+ months, like a summer for example).

However, he is only gone a month and I think he should hold up to his portion of the deal and pay for the utilities.

where does one draw the line? a few weeks, few months?

1 month seems to be a good limit because utilities are billed on a monthly basis, roughly.

I would draw the line at a couple months where it was pre-determined beforehand that the person was leaving for an extended period of time.

EX: you are in college and you sign a 1 year lease with 4 other friends. 3 of you are going to stay there all year, but one of the roommates goes back home during the summer to work. Since everyone already knew this person was going back home during the summer, I don't believe that person should have to pay utilities while he is gone.

Someone just sporadically deciding to leave for a month should still have to pay utilities. If he really wants to go, he should still have to man up to his responsibilities stateside.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Anyone who doesn't agree with 100% is probably still living w/ mommy and daddy in their basement or some shit like that.

 

[illusion88]

when my roommate was gone for 3 weeks, I took some of the utilities off. I figured out what it would be per week for each of us and only charged her for the one week she was around. Only seemed fair.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: illusion88
when my roommate was gone for 3 weeks, I took some of the utilities off. I figured out what it would be per week for each of us and only charged her for the one week she was around. Only seemed fair.

so what was the payback?

 

[Blieb]

Maybe he should pay less if the bill went down a lot ...

but if the bill is the same or near, he should pay up!