“Dear PoPville,
I’m currently apartment hunting in NW DC and I’m seeing something new to me. One rather large apartment building (425 Mass) claimed that the utilities which they bill for monthly, which includes water/sewer/boiler costs, total around $180 per month. I have never heard of a boiler fee personally, and in my experience water and sewer on the high end would cost maybe as high as $60 at the rate I’ve traditionally used water.
Have others in DC been seeing rates this high? Or is it a way of sneakily adding in a huge markup to fees that we normally take for granted as reasonably priced. I do give them credit for disclosing that the amounts could be that high, but it still feels a bit fishy to me.”