Do the utility providers; power or gas contact you as the landlord/owner when their service is disconnected out of tenant's name?

We have had tenants move out without notice, turned power off and ruined our fridges by leaving food in it to spoil.

We can't get cooperation of service providers to notify us when tenant orders a disconnect or if service provider disconnects for lack of payment by tenant.

Your experience/advice is appreciated.

Rick,

We also have that option with some providers.

But we have had tenants that requested power out of their name, it went into ours and we didn't know for 3-5 weeks after billing came out.

Only with good human relationships.

The local electric co-op--- yes. I've arranged with them that I would like the account put in my name when the tenants transition away, so I alwaya get a call to authorize that. If your electric company only has a single billing entity, this is easiest.

TXNM, though, is an electric company with way more billing entity options. TXU, Gexa, Green Mountain, Stream, Bounce, Amigo, Reliant, whatever. So no heads up there.

For water, human relationships were important. If they recognized one of my addresses had some kind of drama, they'd clue me in with small-town friendliness. However, after the water department quit in protest of a particular individual--- the replacement people were much less communicative, especially because they didn't have that history or continuity-of-preexisting-relationships that I had with the previous people. They outsourced a lot of their billing, changed a lot of their procedures, and so they themselves didn't have a good grasp of what was going on. (ie, the panic when they realized that their own billing error had led to a tenant not getting a water bill for three months--- it was their clerical error, but in the middle of all their stress, they threatened to shut off water to my house until I paid for that usage. Fortunately, the tenants squared up their own account, but if they had been doing their billing with their original in-house system, that kind of mistake wouldn't have been made.)

If I sign a contract with the Power, Gas and Water Company to automatically transfer those services into my name (owner) after the tenant schedules a turn-off move-out notice.

However there is a drawback. If the tenant stop paying their bills, instead of turning off those service, the will just start billing the owner.

I had a partnership where everyone contributes. The accountant takes care of the insurance and utilities. A realtor partner rents out the units and I as the Contractor does the repairs and remodeling.

Since I take classes, read and keep up with all codes, laws and changes, I inform my partners on what we should do to protect ourselves.

With the Utilities here in Los Angeles, an OWNER is NOT allowed to cut service. So when tenants stop paying and we signed a transfer agreement, saving $20 on a re-connection charge, we get stuck paying the tenants utility bills until we evict those tenants.

During the pandemic, from 2/1/2000 thru 3/1/2004, a owner was NOT allowed to evict someone for non-payment of anything, like rent.

I have places in two small towns. One has their own electric service as well.

I have it set up where they will shut off service and contact me. Even if they don't contact me I want the service shut off, not put in my name.

Game players will have the service shut off, then they get free utilities while I pay and start eviction. I would much rather pay for a new fridge than give the deadbeats free utilities.

Around here there's a form you have to fill out and also get the tenant's consent (there's the sticking point) in order to be informed of an impending shut off.

For my units I have a - Revert to Owner - agreement with Dominion Energy. When tenant calls to turn the power off it auto converts to me. And if the tenant has pass due bills it is between the power company and the tenant - not me.

Thank you all for your input and advice.

6x6, this was a good tenant until this last month and she bounced her August payment but promised to pay in full and late fees by 29th.

I trusted her and when went to unit on 29th found she had turned of utilities on 22nd and left keys on the counter and lots of 'stuff'

Greg

I had electric to a house in Puxico. People wanted to move in. I required they put electric (and all other utilities) in their name.

I went to Ozark border electric in Puxico and arranged to have permission to see the usage bill and if they were late or disconnected the electric. Had to get notarized permission from tenants before electric company allowed this. I told prospective tenants – This is what you will do if you want the house. Worked like a charm.

So - notarized letter from tenant to Ozark border.

Jim, that happened to me in the past.

Even had a judge threaten me because I turned the water off when they would not switch it over.

I had turned the electric (or gas) back on because it was getting cold. They would not switch it back or pay for it. Judge was angry because I had it turned off.

Then when the water thing happened the tenants told the company they were moving. It went into my name and I told the company I was not paying because I didn't authorize it.

The judge found out and was not happy with me at all.