I ask Eric: The tenant doesn’t want to pay for utilities that she didn’t use

Dear Eric: I rented a room in my house to a woman last year. Your finances are limited. I charge her $400 per month, while the going rate in my area is $1,000. According to the rental agreement, I pay two-thirds of the electricity bill and she pays one-third. She spent last summer visiting her family. When she returned, she told me that she would not pay any part of the electric bill while she was away because she “wasn’t here.” I don’t like confrontation, so I let it go. But I find that my opinion of her character has become a bit negative. Am I wrong about that?

– Invoice request

Dear Billing: This seems to be more of a communication challenge than a character issue. She should have discussed her plan with you before she left, not after, but I can understand her logic – why should she pay for utilities she didn’t use? The bill was probably lower anyway. Additionally, as you noted, her finances are tight, so she may have shifted some of the budgeted incidentals to her travel fund.

If you definitely want her to pay a share of the utilities, you should say so in advance. Or include utilities, since most of their rent payment is probably profit. However, I would warn against nickel and mitigate this problem. After all, your question was not about money, but about character, so I assume that the cost of the utilities you use was not a burden for you. Your time and yours would be better spent discussing expectations for the future.