Household utilities
Is it within the law and standard for the landlord to take a deposit for utilities? (I think 250e is a little steep?)
Can the bills be put on our names?
Thanks in advance

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20. electricity/water bills - domestic v residential

Will take a look.
I strongly recommend you seek alternative accommodation.
I dont see anything wrong with making down payments.
michael78 wrote:I also make a monthly down payment of roughly 500eur. We agreed that we have a look at the invoices after half a yr or something like that and then calculate if it was too much or too less.
I dont see anything wrong with making down payments.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IMO you've been had mate.
check you readings yourself and calculate the bills each month using the online calculator on the Arms website, this is free too. I think the same as Red - you may have been "had"
i have had four flats now and NEVER EVER paid a deposit for utilites. and NEVER WILL... if its requested i walk away and find a proper landlord..these other ones seem to just want to grab your cash.
remember too once you have paid a deposit YOU RARELY GET IT BACK - they will use every trick in the book to keep it.
Terry
If he was reasonable he would suggest taking the readings and doing a calculation after one month then agreeing a monthly payment with you with seasonal adjustments at the appropriate times - to me thats the only acceptable way for this to continue... other wise you are leaving yourself open to abuse.
So you are paying deposits up to €6000 per year!!!!!
For one person or a family?
I'd stop right now if I were you.
redmik wrote:For two of us and including winter consumption (and Lynn does 2 loads of washing each day), our projected average consumption, using the ARMS calculator, for electricity & water is €1800 - €2000 per year. That's a maximum of €166 per month, though it is actually nearer €150 per month.
our is approx 60euros per month spring summer autumn and about 80-90 euros per month for winter. a massive 3 bed apartment with air con but little used.
toonarmy9752 wrote:redmik wrote:For two of us and including winter consumption (and Lynn does 2 loads of washing each day), our projected average consumption, using the ARMS calculator, for electricity & water is €1800 - €2000 per year. That's a maximum of €166 per month, though it is actually nearer €150 per month.
our is approx 60euros per month spring summer autumn and about 80-90 euros per month for winter. a massive 3 bed apartment with air con but little used.
Those figures were calculated over our last stay for 6 weeks in winter.
Lynn has a thing about washing, so I live with it.
Your calculations back up what we are all saying, he is being well and truly ripped off.
We also negotiated a reduction in our long term rent which gives us (overall) the equivalent rates to the owner.
SillyPennyP wrote:Is it within the law and standard for the landlord to take a deposit for utilities? (I think 250e is a little steep?)
I saw this clause in a standard contract of one of the most popular real estate companies here in Malta (but the amount I guess it depends on each case). If it is expected a consumption of around €100 per month, a monthly deposit of €500 for such a thing seems TOO much.
There is an app around I think wich calculates your consumptions anyone knows it?
I had a look at my numbers the other day and it added quite up.
One have to say that my wife has airco on all the time as she is from Brazil and also my computers run almost 24/7 which use a lot of energy.
Anyways, there should be some calculators around which justify a down payment.
When all the utility bills are on your name then one should not make any payments in regard to utility bill to the landlord.
"2) The electric light, water, gas and telephone bills as well as the consumption thereof and installation and rent
of the internet (where applicable) shall be borne by the said Lessee, who is to pay Eur 100 monthly on account to lessor to be set off against the bills."
tariff prices here:
If you're happy to pay that much; fine. I wouldn't!

this only applies if the account is in YOUR name - and you have paid the 466euros charge for the privilege...personally i wouldnt do it - as there is ABSOLUTELY no benefit to it - its fine to simply be named as a registered consumer on the owners account for the property.
We are living in Dublin at the moment and here if you rent apt from an agency. You dont have to pay anything. Just one month deposit what you ll get back when you move out. The bills are on your name and you pay them.
Anyone could explain how it works in Malta?
Thanks
toonarmy9752 wrote:depends if they have left the island or not then they will when they register their new arranegments be removed eventually and your back to square one. be wary, as the utility company are not bound to inform you or the owner and by then you will be landed with a high domestic rated bill.
So if we move to another property we need to register ourselves on the bills again and it will be automatically taken off from here and applied to the new property, is that what you mean?
as all the others will explain you in Malta it works differently. However if you would like to hear it from a Hungarian's point of view feel free to contact me.
Evi
Maybe you try it and evaluate if the down payment is valid or nor.
this ine is free to use
If one is registered as user on the ARMS bill by the landlord and pays the resident rate, what happens with the common parts bill that is shared by all apartments? Is it then automatic that our share of the common parts bill is paid also on resident rates, or is it domestic. We know that one of the apartment occupiers is not/doesn't want to be registered (for devious reasons.) Would this then nullify our claim to resident rates on common parts? Our lease states that we share the costs of common areas but does not distinguish between resident rates for the one and domestic rates for the other.
Would you be so kind as to send me your "list"? Would be very helpful for me!
Kjnd regards,
Mo
why is your element of the bill unbalanced - they are normally equally shared amongst the tenant/flats that exist in the property.
Although it has to be said i was once asked to pay more as we were using the lift more as we were on the top floor, and the man who asked us to pay more was on the 1st floor, each of the other tenants on the other floors were also asked to pay more pro rata...on the basis of a calculation that he made floor 1 being elec usage x1 floor 2 usage x2 and ours usage x3.  Naturally i made my comments on the accuracy of such a calculation and the claims were eventually dropped.
mo14 wrote:Hi Geoarge,
Would you be so kind as to send me your "list"? Would be very helpful for me!
Kjnd regards,
Mo
done
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