Kathy:
The 'why' behind that lease provision is that the landlord is concerned that they will be held liable for utilities at the premises in the event that the tenant fails to pay. I have not researched whether that is the law in Illinois, but in the event a tenant falls behind and/or vacates while there is a bill due, it will be an administrative problem for the landlord to get the electricity, etc., turned back on when there remains an unpaid bill for that same service address.
I hope this has helped. Let me know if you have any followup questions. If none, please remember to click on the ACCEPT link so that I may receive credit for working on this topic with you. (I’d greatly appreciate it!)
Thank you,
Dan
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laws allow the utilities to bill the landlord if