Utility Bill Responsibility: Paying for Others' Utility Service

Landlords have rules they need to follow.

General Rule: Landlords can't make you, the tenant, pay for utilities that also cover areas shared by other people in the building.

If your utility bill includes things like lights in hallways or water for the whole building, your landlord should be paying for that, not you. 765 ILCS 735/1.2(a).

If the bill is higher than expected and you think you’re paying for the utilities of common areas or another tenant’s usage, then that may be a “utility tap.” To learn more about how to confirm whether there’s a utility tap and next steps, click here.

Exception: the landlord and tenant can make an agreement where the tenant pays for common areas.

Before the tenant signs a lease or renews it, the landlord has to give some important information:

• They need to share which parts of the building your utility bill covers. This could include things like shared laundry rooms or garages.
• They should show you utility bills from the past 12 months, so you know what to expect.
• They can't ask you to collect money from other tenants for utilities. That's their job, not yours.
• If you're paying for utilities that other people use, the landlord should lower your rent to make up for it. They should write down how much they'll lower your rent by.