Landlord wants a copy of electric bill...

[ganjapool]

Alright ill make this short. Ive been renting a house for 6 months everythings been great, the landlord is cool. As long as he gets the rent on time i dont hear from him. So I receive a text from him saying that he has some smoke detectors for me and was wondering if he could get a copy of my electric bill because the home owner could qualify for tax credits on the insulation. It wasn't demanding, "I have a favor to ask, would it be possible to get a copy"...

In the lease I wrote in an addendum stating that he has to give 48 hours notice before entering. I dont think he even wants to come in. Obviously I will not give them a copy of my bill. Im sure its three times as much as the other houses in the area, which will probably lead to some questions I don't want to answer. I am going to tell him that I already have smoke detectors and for privacy reasons I would rather not give out my electric bill. I am not too worried and I feel like this is the best way to handle the situation, but was wondering what you guys thought. Any input would be appreciated...

 

[sahdgrower]

What I would do is to say to him.
"Sir, I gotta tell you I am a fairly private individual and I feel a little embarrased by the way I live. I don't mean to suggest that I am overly messy, however I would say that it is worth it to me to pay for and install the smoke detectors myself to not have to be disturbed and interrupt my schedule to have someone else install them."

I find when you admit to people that you are embarrassed by something they tend to leave it at that and not pry. If you are in a postition financially to pay for the smoke detectors all the better for your landlord and future goodwill.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[jammie]

hmmm- doesn't pass the smell test. how could he get a tax break or rebate if the electric account is in your name???

 

[supermanlives]

theres a lot of reasons for high electric other than growing pot. so ya use electric heaters and ac units . you hate being cold or hot. no big deal really.it aint like he pays your electric. not giving it to him might be more suspicious than a high bill. your worries would be when they come to insulate ,he just wants to improve his property. they do the same thing here in so cal. theres all kinds of incentives to make your house more efficient.

 

[festerous]

I'm with jammie on this one. Also seems like he might be using the smoke detectors as a excuse to gain entry to areas otherwise off limits.

 

[ganjapool]

hmmm- doesn't pass the smell test. how could he get a tax break or rebate if the electric account is in your name???

The landlord and the owner know each other and the copy of the electric bill is for the owner so she can get a possible tax break on the insulation.

I'm not sure how she can get a tax break on the insulation if the electric bill is in my name, I'm not too well versed on tax credits.

 

[ganjapool]

theres a lot of reasons for high electric other than growing pot. so ya use electric heaters and ac units . you hate being cold or hot. no big deal really.it aint like he pays your electric. not giving it to him might be more suspicious than a high bill. your worries would be when they come to insulate ,he just wants to improve his property. they do the same thing here in so cal. theres all kinds of incentives to make your house more efficient.

That was my next thought if I give him the electric bill the owner will obviously be allowed a tax break for the insulation. And as a result I would have people coming in to upgrade the insulation which would be bad to say the least...

 

[ganjapool]

I'm with jammie on this one. Also seems like he might be using the smoke detectors as a excuse to gain entry to areas otherwise off limits.

I thought about that as well, and that might be the case but I'm not sure. I plan on giving him a call tomorrow and seeing exactly what his intentions are.

 

[wantaknow]

rent

rent

There are no taxes paid on rent it is not income,do not let them in and do not syart moving shit ,if you have a garage pull in load up and then leave ,make a few dry runs first,just in case,you can always start again ,always be cautious ,and think before you move ,good luck

 

[RetroGrow]

Yes, there are tax credits for installation of smoke detectors.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Gary-D-Finch/story/48259/
Also, there are insurance credits for having them.
Nothing fishy about that request. Also, landlord is limiting his liability in case of a death by smoke inhalation because there were no smoke detectors.
Tax credits vary by state.
By the way, I was once saved by a smoke detector.

 

[RetroGrow]

That was my next thought if I give him the electric bill the owner will obviously be allowed a tax break for the insulation. And as a result I would have people coming in to upgrade the insulation which would be bad to say the least...

Are you talking about "insulation", or "installation"?
Also, simple enough to make a copy of your electric bill, and change the prices in Photoshop or any other image editing software.

 

[RetroGrow]

hmmm- doesn't pass the smell test. how could he get a tax break or rebate if the electric account is in your name???

Because he owns the property. He gets the tax break, not the renter. Doesn't matter whose name the electric bill is in. He owns the property and pays taxes on it, not to mention insurance.

 

[Mikenite69]

What does your electric bill have to do with a tax credit for insulation? Maybe if you have heat supplied by the electric company like natural gas then maybe that is plausible? Don't understand how the hell they would know what insulation is in your walls by your electric bill in order to give a credit to him/her.

Something doesn't smell right with that situation but on the other hand if they are looking into your electric use it's not that hard for them to compare previous tenants bills to your electric costs. But then again maybe the landlord/owner is suspicious of something and wants to compare previous known bills compared to the amount of electric you are using.

I would simply ask what your electric bill has to do with insulation in the walls if the owner built the house he should have access to be able to give them all the info they need to determin if there is anyway to get a credit or a break from the electric company.

I could see if he was asking because they wanted to install solar panels so this way he gets credits and tax breaks because he will be using less electric and going green about it but insulation? Really?

 

[mack 10]

Install? for smoke alarms? why not just get him to give you the smoke detectors? tell him you will install them yourself.

 

[Small time]

I think you have a problem. All the landlord needs to do is give 24 hours no matter what your stipulations. I got to ask, who is paying the utilities, and just how big is the grow? As much as you hate losing the money, you need to put everything down. Hell, rent a box truck, and heat it for half a day. The way to stay free, is to accept losses.

 

[hvac guy]

RG is bang on, scan a previous bill and with Photoshop and some OCR you can eailly make a bill that would fool the landlord. I've done the same thing with other documents and they fooled them.

 

[supermanlives]

if your bill is too high the elect co has programs, as they assume your house sucks on effiency and needs upgrading. some of ya aint got a clue. them mofos tried for many years to get into my pad. even offering a new fridge to replace oldass one. not my prob anymore. no one is offering to pimp my trailer. ...peace... ya show up insulate it and give me a new fridge.

 

[DarthFader1]

Alright ill make this short. Ive been renting a house for 6 months everythings been great, the landlord is cool. As long as he gets the rent on time i dont hear from him. So I receive a text from him saying that he has some smoke detectors for me and was wondering if he could get a copy of my electric bill because the home owner could qualify for tax credits on the insulation. It wasn't demanding, "I have a favor to ask, would it be possible to get a copy"...

In the lease I wrote in an addendum stating that he has to give 48 hours notice before entering. I dont think he even wants to come in. Obviously I will not give them a copy of my bill. Im sure its three times as much as the other houses in the area, which will probably lead to some questions I don't want to answer. I am going to tell him that I already have smoke detectors and for privacy reasons I would rather not give out my electric bill. I am not too worried and I feel like this is the best way to handle the situation, but was wondering what you guys thought. Any input would be appreciated...

1. Tax credits on insulation has NOTHING to do with an electric bill, especially one not in property owners name. That is a private account between you & utility company. LOL at anyone saying a landlord can get a tax credits for "insulation" based on a private consumers electric bill.. total clueless

2. The landlord has zero right to ask to see a private document of yours, assuming the power is in your name. That's not as bad as asking to see someone's bank statement, but it's in the same ballpark.

3. Why the f*** does the landlord not have smoke alarms installed in his rental before any tenant moves in??? In my country this mandatory by law, and required by insurance. Install the smoke alarms yourself.

What i would do...

1. Hold my ground firmly and precisely and tell him no f****** chance he is seeing your power bill. Explain yourself if you want, i wouldn't. If you have to say something just say im a very private person and no way i feel comfortable with that. Make HIM feel uncomfortable for asking you. He'll probably think your a weirdo, but that is where not giving a f*** what anyone thinks comes in really handy. Ive used this line before it works.

2. Get ready to shut up shop in a moments notice if things take a turn for the worse.

Shit im glad i don't have some dickwad landlord up my a** anymore.

Your getting played bro, realize. I could be wrong and it might be innocent and different laws in different countries etc, but as soon as i read OP i was like NO WAY that is legit.

Good Luck
Darth

ps. This thread ruffled my feathers, pls forgive my harsh tone

 

[Crooked8]

I agree i think its a bogus excuse to see what your usage is and come inside. Id close up shop for sure. Sucks, wishing you the best.

 

[Weird]

call the electric company and ask what they require

are they looking for the difference the alarms cause in your usage? or do they just want a bill of the current occupant with the address on it?

if the later is the case give him the first months bill before you had all the juice turned up. problem solved. if you didn't keep it pay the electric company to make a copy for you

im thinking your might be making it more than it need to be