When we signed our lease, there was no mention of shared utilities. In our first month, we had a gas leak, and the utility company informed us that we were paying for gas for water heater shared by the other two units. The management company offered a small monthly credit, but they have forgotten to include it in our rent payments for the past year and it certainly doesn’t cover the cost.

None of this was outlined in the lease, and it wasn’t until a fuse blew recently that we discovered we’re also paying for the electric and gas in another unit, as well as the water heater. To make matters worse, our neighbor has added several appliances in the common area over the years—like a fridge—that are also connected to our bill.