The landlord is responsible for paying the utility which supplies hot water or heat when the rental agreement states so, or there is only one utility meter which reads the utility usage for more than one dwelling unit, or the landlord has paid for the utility in the past and the utility is still in his/her name. When the landlord is responsible for paying for the gas and/or electric, and either one is going to be shut off, tenants may utilize the rent depositing process to prevent the shut-off or to have the utility service restored.
Tenants living in the same building being effected by a shut-off need to obtain a petition signed by at least 50 percent of the tenants in the building. The petition, a copy of the shut-off notice, and a letter stating the problem should then be sent to the landlord. Next, the tenants should notify the utility company of their intention to rent-deposit by forwarding to the utility company a copy of both the letter and the petition that were sent to the landlord. Additionally, a copy of the letter, the notice of the shut-off, and the petition should be filed with the Clerk of Courts.
Finally, each tenant who has signed the petition should then pay his/her rent on the day it is normally due, to the Clerk of Courts. The court can then allow the overdue bill to be paid to the utility company out of the deposited monies.
How to use a form letter.