Is lodger a CF?

[Ladiva1971]

I have a lodger his rent includes all bills, however I went on holiday for 2 weeks and on my return he presented me with a £25 top up bill for the gas which he used for heating when I was away. I told him there is no way I am paying for the gas he used when I wasn't here. He says gas and electric is included, but my argument is that if I was on holiday the gas would not have been used so he has to pay it. AIBU?

Well is gas and electric included in bills or not?

You can't change the rules to suit yourself.

Did he use £25 more then the normal bill or was it the Normal bill that you didn’t pay?

Did the tenancy contract say "bills included" or "bills included when we're both at home"? YABVU

YABU.

YABU. Unless you contract states that bills are included unless you are out of the house of course.

It's either included all the time, or none of the time. Definitely a CF here, not the lodger though.

I think YABU (sorry). If the rent includes gas and electric, he shouldn't have to pay extra for reasonable use. Assuming you are in the UK and the holiday was recent, it's been freezing cold so heating the house would be unavoidable.

Bills are included in HIS rent, it is irrelevant whether you are there or not.

Whut? If the agreement is that gas/electric is included in the rent then unless he's used an EXCESSIVE amount I can't see you having much of a case here. The fact that you personally weren't there is irrelevant, it's down to your agreement IMO.

If while you were away he took up welding as a hobby and used an unreasonable amount of energy you might be able to argue that's unreasonable but if that's just what he used your argument about not being there couldn't stand.

If you didn't have a lodger and went on holiday your house would be empty.

Have u charged them rent?

If so (obviously you have) you need to pay the bills.

Yabu, bills included means that.

How can you not see YABU?? You can’t state bills included and then make him pay them separately because you were on holiday, and if that was the case you should’ve told him before you went

YABU! Bills are included. Is he only allowed to turn the light on when you are in the same room?

If bills are included then bills are included surely! YABU

Was it £25 you didnt put on as you werent there or £25 extra because he went heating crazy when you werent there?

If it’s included, it’s included.

Did you tell him before you went that the terms of his tenancy agreement had changed as you were going on holiday?

So I gather utilities should be paid by you all the time, regardless of whether you are there or not. Is this stipulated in the contract?

Holy moly some people! YABVU

If lodger goes on holiday do they get a refund for bills? Thought not...

What the others have said. You are being Incredibly unreasonable.

Yep YABU

But you've still been paid for his gas and electric if it's included in his rent. I'm assuming he had to top up a prepayment meter so he could use the heating which presumably you would have done if you'd been there (because he pays for those services via his rent) so he is out of pocket. The fact that you weren't there to share the use of those services is irrelevant and not his fault/problem.

LOL, so he has to sit in the cold and dark when you go on holiday?

No you are a CF

YABU

if his rent includes bills, then it includes bills