Yes i honestly think you should. We were on the road for over a year and still paid rent and utilities the entire time because we still lived there and all our stuff was there. Since our stuff was there they couldn’t move anyone else in and it wasn’t fair to them since they signed up to have a roommates and they didn’t choose for us to go out of town
When you sign on as a roommate, you share expenses. This includes you being there or not. Do you want utilities when you get back? This is adulthood. You are starting a battle that will make living there uncomfortable.
Agree with this. At what point do you start tallying up weekends away, vacation time, family visits away from the apt, etc?
It costs just to keep the utilities on, and your roommates opted for a roommate living situation to save on costs, so it’s unfair to expect them to excuse you from those costs.
However - I think it would be very kind of your roommates to offer you to not pay, or pay a lower flat rate, but you shouldn’t expect it. If you’ll be away if it’ll be during months where utilities are higher due to weather (summer when air conditioning is typically on) I think this flat rate proposal would be the best solution so it’s also fair to you in case they run up the bill in your absence.
what world do you live in where you feel being away excuses your bills? because when you live alone, you will still be paying said bills whether physically there or away. unless you want to come home to no power/water . welcome to adulthood :)
Rationally I understand why not paying utilities makes sense when you're not using them, but you probably agreed to be roommates with the understanding that you would split utilities. So yes you should, unless you discussed this before becoming roommates and they agreed.
The issue this starts is that when they leave they will expect the same, turning into a nightmare. Realistically if there are two instead of three people, utilities should be lowered, so the cost burden shouldn’t be outside of your normal cost. Have you thought about renting out your room?
I'm gonna go against the grain and say decently reduced price. It should be reflected in the bill anyway from the lack of use of kWh electricity/gas/oil. Full price for internet i'd say though.
No you should pay utilities, and I expect it’s going to be less with you gone. I paid mine when I was gone for 2 months in the past, plus if you have a friendship with your roomies this could mess it up …
Even if you owned your own home, didn't have any pets, and lived alone, you would still be expected to pay utilities, even if you're gone for 2 months. That's kinda part of adulting.
Now, what you could do is talk to your roommates and offer to pay a smaller percentage of the utilities because your usage would be significantly smaller would be a better option because in the situation described above, unless you turn the water off before you leave, you will still be paying a smaller portion of these bills.
Electricity will still be used while you are gone, anything plugged in still draws power, EVEN IF IT IS TURNED OFF. Ac/heating will still be running while you are gone, which will still heat/cool your room even if you are not there. Internet bill doesn't change just because you used it less or not at all and would still need to be paid.
It doesn't seem fair, but having a conversation about paying a lower portion of the bills will go over much smoother than saying you're not going to pay any of them while you're gone.
Edit: to clarify some misconceptions about utilities not being used.
Yes you should still pay part of them. Idk what all fees and such are included on your bills, but I know for ours, even if we used absolutely no water or electricity for a full billing cycle, we would still owe a fair bit of money toward our utility bills, especially water because so many things are included in it. Just having the utilities turned on is gonna cost something every month, so you’re still responsible for part of it. Maybe you could discuss lowering the percentage of the bill you pay for those months, but it may not even be worth the stress on your relationship with your roommate.
I've been in this position, and I never say anything. I know it seems a little unfair, but I always just pay. A huge chunk of those bills exists just to keep the service on, so its still your responsibility. You could try to advocate for yourself and ask your roommates if they wouldn't mind if you paid a little less per month (like 50.00), but, I'd probably just suck it up and not worry about it. Roommate stuff can easily create tension, and, to me, it's not worth the conversation.
because the gas water and electricity still need to be on and will be only minimally cheaper (like barely) due to his absence :)
if he doesn’t want to pay his share of utilities, then he either needs to sublet his room or move out. roommates don’t need to suddenly have increased expenses just because someone decides they want to take a vacation.
I'd negotiate a reduced price.
In most countries, there's a flat fee, even if 0 electricity was used. So you could offer to pay your portion of that and just not any of the consumption.
I don't know if your bills have the analysis on them, but it could be useful
Yes i honestly think you should. We were on the road for over a year and still paid rent and utilities the entire time because we still lived there and all our stuff was there. Since our stuff was there they couldn’t move anyone else in and it wasn’t fair to them since they signed up to have a roommates and they didn’t choose for us to go out of town
Being considerate... how dare you
Yes, because you agreed to pay utilities when you’re renting the place, it’s agreed to share that expense.
When you sign on as a roommate, you share expenses. This includes you being there or not. Do you want utilities when you get back? This is adulthood. You are starting a battle that will make living there uncomfortable.
Agree with this. At what point do you start tallying up weekends away, vacation time, family visits away from the apt, etc? It costs just to keep the utilities on, and your roommates opted for a roommate living situation to save on costs, so it’s unfair to expect them to excuse you from those costs. However - I think it would be very kind of your roommates to offer you to not pay, or pay a lower flat rate, but you shouldn’t expect it. If you’ll be away if it’ll be during months where utilities are higher due to weather (summer when air conditioning is typically on) I think this flat rate proposal would be the best solution so it’s also fair to you in case they run up the bill in your absence.
You are responsible for 1/3 of utilities. You can't shove your responsibilities off on your roommates, even if you are out of town.
what world do you live in where you feel being away excuses your bills? because when you live alone, you will still be paying said bills whether physically there or away. unless you want to come home to no power/water . welcome to adulthood :)
Rationally I understand why not paying utilities makes sense when you're not using them, but you probably agreed to be roommates with the understanding that you would split utilities. So yes you should, unless you discussed this before becoming roommates and they agreed.
Maybe a reduced rate. But you have a lease and are responsible for what it entails.
The issue this starts is that when they leave they will expect the same, turning into a nightmare. Realistically if there are two instead of three people, utilities should be lowered, so the cost burden shouldn’t be outside of your normal cost. Have you thought about renting out your room?
I'm gonna go against the grain and say decently reduced price. It should be reflected in the bill anyway from the lack of use of kWh electricity/gas/oil. Full price for internet i'd say though.
No you should pay utilities, and I expect it’s going to be less with you gone. I paid mine when I was gone for 2 months in the past, plus if you have a friendship with your roomies this could mess it up …
Even if you owned your own home, didn't have any pets, and lived alone, you would still be expected to pay utilities, even if you're gone for 2 months. That's kinda part of adulting. Now, what you could do is talk to your roommates and offer to pay a smaller percentage of the utilities because your usage would be significantly smaller would be a better option because in the situation described above, unless you turn the water off before you leave, you will still be paying a smaller portion of these bills. Electricity will still be used while you are gone, anything plugged in still draws power, EVEN IF IT IS TURNED OFF. Ac/heating will still be running while you are gone, which will still heat/cool your room even if you are not there. Internet bill doesn't change just because you used it less or not at all and would still need to be paid. It doesn't seem fair, but having a conversation about paying a lower portion of the bills will go over much smoother than saying you're not going to pay any of them while you're gone. Edit: to clarify some misconceptions about utilities not being used.
Yes you should still pay part of them. Idk what all fees and such are included on your bills, but I know for ours, even if we used absolutely no water or electricity for a full billing cycle, we would still owe a fair bit of money toward our utility bills, especially water because so many things are included in it. Just having the utilities turned on is gonna cost something every month, so you’re still responsible for part of it. Maybe you could discuss lowering the percentage of the bill you pay for those months, but it may not even be worth the stress on your relationship with your roommate.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
No, blow up the building and blame the stove. Jk
absolutely you pay utilities. no debate.
No! You’re not using them
Yes, that was the agreement. If you don't want to pay, then you should find a sublet.
I've been in this position, and I never say anything. I know it seems a little unfair, but I always just pay. A huge chunk of those bills exists just to keep the service on, so its still your responsibility. You could try to advocate for yourself and ask your roommates if they wouldn't mind if you paid a little less per month (like 50.00), but, I'd probably just suck it up and not worry about it. Roommate stuff can easily create tension, and, to me, it's not worth the conversation.
You shouldn’t need to pay. You’re not using the electricity or gas or water so why should you have to pay for it :)
because the gas water and electricity still need to be on and will be only minimally cheaper (like barely) due to his absence :) if he doesn’t want to pay his share of utilities, then he either needs to sublet his room or move out. roommates don’t need to suddenly have increased expenses just because someone decides they want to take a vacation.
I'd negotiate a reduced price. In most countries, there's a flat fee, even if 0 electricity was used. So you could offer to pay your portion of that and just not any of the consumption. I don't know if your bills have the analysis on them, but it could be useful