Landlord and tenant; creating liability for tenants who leave certain unpaid utility rates or charges. Effective date.

SB 1622 requires tenants who abandon, surrender, or are evicted from residential rental property to pay any unpaid utility charges in their name to the utility company. Landlords are exempt from liability for these unpaid charges if the utility was contracted directly with the tenant, not the landlord. The bill mandates that utility companies must restore services to the rental property upon the landlord’s request if the tenant fails to pay, and they must pursue payment solely from the tenant. This law directly affects tenants leaving rental units with outstanding utility bills and shifts responsibility from landlords to tenants for those specific charges.