Shoutout to the landlord who let me take over a vacant corner spot in Hamtramck

I finally opened my little cafe three weeks ago after hunting for space for 8 months. What I keep noticing is how many people here mess up their lease negotiations by not asking about utilities separately. My buddy signed a deal and got hit with a $600 water bill his first month because the landlord lumped it in as a flat fee. I asked for itemized bills from the previous tenant and saved myself a headache. How do you all handle utility costs in your lease agreements?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_fiona2d ago

Yo honestly that part about "itemized bills from the previous tenant" is genius. I used to think you just had to trust whatever the landlord said about utilities, like it was part of the deal you had to accept. But then my cousin got wrecked by a hidden water surcharge in his warehouse lease and I started asking for actual usage records before signing anything. Now I won't even look at a space unless they give me a breakdown of what the last person paid per month. It's wild how much landlords try to hide in those flat fees until you're already locked in.

christopher_flores462d ago

Wait is it really THAT serious though? I mean yeah landlords definitely try to pull stuff but asking for itemized bills from the previous tenant feels like a lot of extra work for something that usually isn't that hidden @the_fiona. Most utility flat fees I've seen are pretty standard unless you're renting some crazy converted warehouse or something. Maybe I've just been lucky but I've never had a landlord try to sneak in surprise charges after signing. Feels like you're putting a lot of trust in the previous tenant's habits too, what if they just used way more water or power than you would?