Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#1

Post by healsdata » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC

Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee
usatoday.com

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#2

Post by chiph » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 12:15 AM UTC

This is because of additional power & water costs? The landlord should install individual meters on the units. Or at least sub-meter, so they can be paid accurately by the residents. Offering unlimited utilities is a stupid mistake by a landlord.

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#3

Post by jerlam » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 12:36 AM UTC

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49027039 (34 comments)

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#4

Post by digitalsushi » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 2:08 AM UTC

Makes sense. Retired people already pay a surcharge because they're home all day so why not work from home people too?

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#5

Post by jnyst1985 » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 3:11 AM UTC

I don’t understand. If you’re home more, you’re already likely to pay more in utilities. But now landlords want to charge more for “wear”? Sounds like greed to me.

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#6

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 3:20 AM UTC

digitalsushi wrote: post #4

Makes sense. Retired people already pay a surcharge because they're home all day so why not work from home people too?

[deleted]

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#7

Post by pdimitar » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 3:29 AM UTC

jnyst1985 wrote: post #5

I don’t understand. If you’re home more, you’re already likely to pay more in utilities. But now landlords want to charge more for “wear”? Sounds like greed to me.

Nothing more to understand, your reading sounds exactly right to me. Rent-seekers wanting ever more income, color me surprised.

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#8

Post by DangitBobby » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 3:31 AM UTC

chiph wrote: post #2

This is because of additional power & water costs? The landlord should install individual meters on the units. Or at least sub-meter, so they can be paid accurately by the residents. Offering unlimited utilities is a stupid mistake by a landlord.

But if they do that they can't pocket the difference between what they charge and what the utilities actually cost

Re: Working from home? That will be extra. Renters rage over new fee

#9

Post by mikhailfranco » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 1:08 PM UTC

digitalsushi wrote: post #4

Makes sense. Retired people already pay a surcharge because they're home all day so why not work from home people too?

I think the basis of this is the same as WFH, which has not been mentioned in the article or the comments: insurance, mostly on probabilities of fire and injury.