When a rental contract ends, not all bills are always paid, which generates frequent doubts among owners. The situation becomes more delicate when debts arise for essential services, such as water, electricity or gas, after the tenant leaves.
According to Notícias ao Minuto, this is a common scenario that generates uncertainty, especially when it was not clear, from the beginning, who assumed ownership of the supply contracts. According to the same source, the answer to the question depends on a specific factor, which can determine whether or not the landlord has to assume the charges.
It all depends on who is in the contract
Responsibility for water, electricity and gas debts falls, as a rule, on the holder of the contract signed with the supplier entity. Therefore, if the contracts were in the name of the tenant, he or she is responsible for paying outstanding invoices, even if he or she has already abandoned the property.
According to the section “Work and (un)complicated taxes”, signed by Dantas Rodrigues and cited by Notícias ao Minuto, the obligation remains regardless of the end of the lease contract. However, the scenario changes when the supply contracts are in the name of the lessor, since, in these cases, companies can demand payment directly from the holder, even if he was not the one who consumed.
When the landlord is called to pay
If the contracts are in the name of the owner, he may be held responsible for the amounts owed, as he is the owner before the supplier entity. Still, this does not mean that you will have to permanently bear this cost, because you can later demand that the tenant pay these expenses.
In practice, the landlord may have to pay the amounts to regularize the situation, although he maintains the right to claim the amount from the former tenant.
Closing failures can cause problems
Another relevant point is related to communicating the end of the contract to supplier entities, a step that is not always completed in a timely manner. If this communication is not made, contracts may remain active and continue to accumulate consumption, which is associated with the existing holder.
As the same publication explains, this type of situation can lead to new debts, even after the tenant leaves, which reinforces the importance of ending or updating contracts at the right time.
Prevention is the best protection
To avoid this type of problem, it is recommended to define, from the beginning of the lease, who will hold the supply contracts. Furthermore, when the tenant leaves, the accounts must be checked and, whenever possible, the meters must be read, to ensure that there are no outstanding consumptions.
These simple measures help to avoid conflicts and unexpected responsibilities, especially in situations where there is no direct monitoring of property management. In the end, there is one detail that can make all the difference and avoid burdens on the landlord: the name that appears on the contract with the supplier, according to Notícias ao Minuto.
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