Refuse bin charges for apartment tenants

tulanian

In general are apartment tenants usually responsible for refuse bin charges? Our (former) block had a central room with a large bin for collecting rubbish. Specifically to our situation, our former landlord has withheld money from our security deposit to cover a "Standing charge for refuse bin collection" for the two years prior to our vacation of the property in October. We were not charged this fee in the previous two years at the same property (four years of residence total). Needless to say we're pissed about this.

Cheers,

Bill

Paulw

Yes, normally you pay refuse charges. You're throwing out the waste, so you pay for it.

Some landlords wrap it up in the rent, many don't.

snickerpuss

If it was never mentioned until you moved out that he was gonna subtract bin charges from your deposit, which frankly is quite weird, then I would kick up a stink. We have a communal refuse bin in our apartments but we don't pay for them.

silja

I would say not normal.
I am a landlord and we have a rubbish hut in the courtyard where everyone dumps their rubbish in the dumpsters. The refuse charges are part of the management fee, which is the landlord's responsibility.

dory

I would have thought refuse is always part of management fee. It's certainly not cool to spring it on you at deposit time. At least ask to see receipts (and make sure the receipts show that the bill just happened now) 

Kosseegan

Polluter pays, is the legal principle involved.

omega666

after living in multiple rented apts for the last 10 years i never once had to pay refuse charges for a communial facility.
It's all wrapped up as part of the management fee which the landlord pays.

tulanian

My lease had a clause that says I'm to pay "promptly to the authorities or to whomever they are due, local authority, refuse charges and outgoings" etc, which is fine, but the first "bill" I received for refuse was in the closing statement with my security deposit and the amount was taken out by the landlord. When I complained about it he said he didn't bill me for the first two years because he was being nice, but since I mentioned it, he'll bill me for them now and sent me two more! Like I'm going to pay a bill that's four years old.

Carriexx

silja wrote: »

I would say not normal.
I am a landlord and we have a rubbish hut in the courtyard where everyone dumps their rubbish in the dumpsters. The refuse charges are part of the management fee, which is the landlord's responsibility.

Same in my apartment block

athtrasna

If the refuse charges are included in the management fee then the landlord is getting full tax relief on the management fee and can only charge you for the bins IF he doesn't claim tax relief on that portion of the fee. Mentioning that might encourage him to rethink his position!

the groutch

as mentioned above, bins are almost always included in management fees, which it's up to the landlord to factor into your rent.
trying to retroactively charge you for it after you've left sounds like another chancer of a landlord trying to find an excuse to keep the deposit.

Azureus

The way he's throwing them at you now seems mega dodgy, and very unlikely that he was withholding the previous two years bills 'just to be nice'. He probably thinks you'll refuse to pay those first two years, but pay up for the ones he was originally asking for now that he's threatened you with the lot.
It should be included in manangement fees, or he should have billed you/informed you at the end of each year.

tulanian

He actually deducted the last two years of refuse charges from my deposit.

Minier81

I have never paid for refuse collection while renting in an apartment block. In rented houses I have paid for the bin tags.

Holding it back from your deposit sounds dodgy, get in touch with the PRTB....

Del2005

I thought a deposit was for damage to the apartment not for the LL to recover money they forgot to charge.

OP contact Threshold and ask is it OK for a LL to do this?