I Have To Foot The Bill For A Gas Line Inspection

Moved into an apartment in October 2024 (location: Texas). Part of the stipulations of the lease was that you had to have electricity transferred to the unit before move in. No problem, I took care of it.

After I moved in, I attempted to get my gas stove activated, but there was a delay for whatever reason and the energy company never got back to me. I said forget it I don’t need gas since I have a plethora of electrical appliance all over my kitchen. I also don’t cook much so it makes no difference if I have gas or not.

Fast-forward, two years later, I receive an email from the apartment management saying that I have 48 hours to activate my gas line or I’ll receive a lease violation. I called the energy company and asked them to connect a line and they said that they would need to get a permit before turning on the gas. Well to get a permit, you have to hire a plumber to perform an inspection of the gas line.

I went to the leasing office and told them that I had been living here for a while, and I just barely received any notification that I needed to reactivate my gas line. I also didn’t see anything in the lease itself that requires me to activate the gas after a certain amount of time or any fees with penalties or contractual basis related to gas connections.

Now, I’m on the hook for a gas line inspection, which could cost upwards of $500-$700, just to get my gas turned on. This doesn’t seem OK. What are my rights here?

Location: Texas