Tenants at Chicago Apartment Building Continue Fight Against Utility Billing System After Partial Refund
CHICAGO - Tenants at the Virgil Square apartment building in Chicago are continuing to demand greater transparency and accountability from Equity Residential regarding their utility bills,despite a recent credit of over $25,000 issued to residents. the dispute centers on the building’s use of Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS), a practice increasingly scrutinized for its potential to unfairly burden renters.
tenants began organizing last year as frustration grew over rising monthly utility charges. In April, they presented a petition requesting detailed breakdowns of thes costs. The situation escalated in June when over 40 households initiated a “RUBS strike,” agreeing to pay only their base rent until their demands where met.
Equity Residential acknowledged “larger than expected” water and sewer bills spanning the past year and a half, attributing the issue to leaking valves that have since been repaired. The company subsequently credited tenants’ accounts with a total exceeding $25,000.
Though, residents remain skeptical that underlying maintenance problems have been fully addressed. Suha khondker, a Virgil Square tenant, reported experiencing respiratory difficulties she attributes to mold in her apartment, leading to two emergency room visits this year. While the company moved her to a new unit last month, she fears the issues will recur without comprehensive repairs.
“It’s really hard to find an apartment that is not corporate-owned and doesn’t use RUBS,” said tenant and Virgil Square tenants Association member, Ballesteros. “I think there are so many things going on that are so unfair, and this is one way that I can participate and help support my neighbors.”
The tenants’ struggle highlights a growing national debate over RUBS.The system, which divides utility costs based on factors like apartment size and occupancy rather than individual metering, has been banned statewide in Connecticut following a 2024 state supreme court ruling that deemed it unfair to hold tenants liable for utilities they didn’t directly use or measure.
The Virgil square Tenants Association plans to maintain pressure on Equity Residential, advocating for full transparency and long-term solutions to the building’s maintenance issues.
