You finally gotten a new apartment and you are ready to make the move. Yahoo! I am excited for you. I bet it has been quite the journey from the apartment search to getting a place of your own. It is nearly over. There is just one more thing I still need you to do, before you lay back and enjoy your new place.
And, that is setting up utilities in your new apartment.
Personally, I prefer setting up rental utilities before moving in. That way, you do not run into the trouble of transferring your utilities to your new place. This is especially, when you already have a utility account from an old apartment.
Speaking of utilities, I do not know if you know, but apartment will not set up them for you. You have to do it for yourself. This includes your gas, electricity or water. Well- with respect to water, most apartments already have it set for you. You just have to worry about usage and water bill monthly.
With respect to other rental utilities, I would like to talk about the different utilities which will constitute your monthly expenses. Your utilities expenses are going to be different from your base rent. In fact, utilities are not included in rent. This is because your major utility bills are going to external energy companies.
If it is your first time renting, I recommend asking the apartment to give you a list of your estimated expenses. This is so you know what to expect as rental expenses. I talked about this on episode 11: The Hidden Costs of Renting An Apartment. Anyways, here is what I want you to know about the kind of utilities you will be paying for.
Types Of Apartment Utilities that Constitute Your Monthly Expenses
Below are a list of apartment utilities you will be expected to set up before you move. They are the utilities needed for an apartment to be what I called functional.
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water/Sewer
- Trash collection
- Internet
Electricity and gas are usually set up with an external energy company. Most apartments handle setting up your water or sewer, since all apartment units are connected to the same plumbing system. Whew! Thank God for that.
With respect to trash collection or internet, apartments handle collection arrangement with the city’s waste disposal department. Some apartments may provide trash collection for free as a courtesy. Mine does not, so I get charged monthly for the trash collection. I do not mind, since it would have been hard for me to find someone to do it for me anyways.
As for internet, it is optional. Some apartments may charge you to use theirs, or else it is free. All apartments I have rented so far, never has wifi for tenants. It has always fall on me to get mine. So, I suggest you do the same too, since it gives you a choice to access cheaper wifi networks.
Before you even sign the lease, I expect you to have asked about these utilities. Also, how you could go about setting them up. Apartment leasing offices are good at letting you know who handles what, when it comes to their utilities. I encourage you ask to get a good idea, in order to avoid expensive misunderstandings in the future.
How To Set Up Electricity For An Apartment
Installing electricity in a new apartment may take a day to five business days. Your new apartment stops paying for it, as soon as you sign your lease. Some may be gracious enough to keep the apartment electricity on their account, until you have moved in. For most, electricity for apartments has to be set up before you move in.
So, how does one set up electricity in a new apartment?
Firstly, you have to inquire who is the electricity provider for your apartment. This is especially, when you have never had an account with an energy company before. You can get an address of one of their branches and go there in person to set it up.
To set up apartment electricity with the company, you need proof of residency. Your driver’s license will suffice, but it has to be your new address. If not, you could use your lease agreement or some other legal information tying you to the new apartment.
Finally, call the company ahead of the appointment to inquire the cost of its initial deposit. Most power companies will ask for an initial deposit to turn on electricity in your new apartment. It might cost anywhere from $50 to $100 depending on where you live. I would call ahead first, before heading out.
How Long Does It Take To Set Up Power In An Apartment?
It takes a day to five business days to set up power in a new apartment. This is why I encourage connecting utilities to your new home before moving in. Otherwise, you could incur some stress trying to do it last minute.
Or even worse, having to wait some days in darkness before utility service kicks in.
I am not one for last minute errands. Scratch that- I hate doing this kind of things last minute. This is because it is stressful. If you do not like that kind of hassle, take a time and do it before you move in.
Setting Up Gas In A New Apartment
To set up gas for your apartment, ask your apartment complex for a list of gas companies in the area. Go through their rates and see which one works for your budget. Call and set up an appointment with them to help you out with it.
If it is not your first time, then all you have to do is call to transfer your gas utility account to the new apartment. Just know any available debt on the old apartment carries to the new one. At least in my city, the gas provider carries debts from old apartments into the new one.
The reason is it is one account. Unless your city or state allows for multiple gas utility companies, you can use the same account each time as long as you are with the same utility company. Do you understand how it works so far, my dear reader?
Anyways, technicians will come and set up gas in the new apartment once you have notified them of a move. You do not need an initial deposit, when you are transferring to a new apartment. It is only needed, when it is your first time setting up gas utility account in a new apartment.
Nowadays, new apartment complexes do not use gas for apartment units. Personally, I have never rented an apartment unit with a gas stove. It scares me because I feel like it is unsafe. It is my biased opinion, because of a bad childhood memory. If you are comfortable renting from such apartments, go for it. The rents are usually cheap anyways.
When To Set Up Utilities For A New Apartment?
The perfect time would be two weeks prior to your move in date. You can schedule your rental utilities to be turned on the day of your move in. No kidding!
It is how I usually do it. I would tell the electricity company to move my service to the new place a day before I move in or on the day. This is perfect, since there is enough time to resolve any potential problem with transferring services to the new place.
On the whole, it is going to be easy for you when apartments include utilities. Otherwise, you are going to have to set up utilities in your new apartment. I encourage you inquire about trash collection. This is because some apartments handle it, while other lets you figure it out.
I keep reiterating this, due to the fact that there are First-Time Renters Mistakes Young Adults Make. I do not want you exceeding your rental budget due to not asking the right questions before signing your lease. Utility bills could do that to you, when you set them up correctly.
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