In article , Oren wrote:
On Tue, 1 Feb 2011 21:55:34 -0500, "Robert Green"
wrote:

I was thinking of something remote controlled, like a kill switch for the
furnace or something similar. Something that would make staying in the
home, not paying rent unpalatable. Would it make sense to keep the
utilities in our name and pass them through so that we could cut them off,
or does cutting off a deadbeat's electricity boomerang back on the
landlord?

Put all utilities in the tenant name.

If they go all stupid, don't spend a bunch of money of ways to get
them out. Just take the front door off, frame and all. Explain you
have to order a custom made Mahogany door from Belize.

How about if utilities are in landlord's name and the lease specifies
that utilities are responsibility of the landlord?

Oops, the furnace had a transformer burn out about a week into January,
and the replacement one has a "lead time" of 2 weeks or a month.

Preferably, the lease specifies that the tenant is not allowed to
perform modifications and repairs to items regulated by building or
housing-unit-rental codes. (my words).

Furthermore, I have seen leases requiring that tenant must not use a
heat source other than landlord-provided heating system for home heating.

My experience in delivery jobs suggests to me that problem tenants
disproportionately tend to have a problem with indoor temperature lower
than 70's F.
--
- Don Klipstein )