Triplex Without Seperate Utilities

[Aaron Corleone]

Hello everyone!

Just found this website and look forward to being a part of this community. I'm newer to this so I have a lot to learn!

I just bought a triplex. The only issue with it is it doesn't yet have separate utility meters for the three units. I can't afford to do this as of now but would like to get renters in there in the mean time. What would be the best way to handle this? I don't want to just pay for the utilities as that gives no incentive for the tenants to be responsible with their use. But I also can't figure out a way to split them up fairly among the three units since we won't know how much each tenant/unit is using. I'm just envisioning fights breaking out in the foyer of the triplex! Me getting calls every month saying they aren't the ones driving up the bills!

Has anyone come up with a good way to handle this?

[Troy Sheets]

Originally posted by Steve Babiak:

Originally posted by John Schmiesing:
...
This may be interesting for everyone; I had a tenant who stopped paying their gas bills. I called and verified with the utility that their non-payment can't somehow come back to me.

@John Schmiesing - lucky for you that your tenant's non-payment of gas didn't happen in Philadelphia, because gas in Phila is lienable, and landlords have been stuck with tenant bills due to that happening.

I was amazed to find this out!!! We just closed on a quad in Philadelphia and the seller had $3500 in liens to pay to PGW from tenants that had stiffed PGW. There were a couple scenarios where the tenant could show you a zero balance on move-out but still have a balance from previous months you'd be stuck with AFTER refunding their security deposit (if you weren't thorough in checking with PGW). Scary stuff!!!

[Bruce Kozak]

There are a lot of folks here from PA, like myself (Pittsburgh). Does anyone know if the RUBS provision is allowed in PA, whereby the water bill is divided up and billed based on the number of occupants?  i.e. A triplex with 2 persons in first unit, 1 in 2nd unit, and 4 in the 3rd unit, with the 3rd unit being billed  4/7 ths of the total water/sewage bill?

Bruce

[Steve Babiak]

Quote from @David Krulac:

@Aaron Corleone

@Aaron Corleone

The PA law is Act 54, here's a summary:

https://www.pplelectric.com/at-your-service/electric-rates-and-rules/remsi/foreign-load.aspx

 Lots of old links that no longer work were on this thread; the link David posted above is one of them, but at least there is a replacement link for this one:

https://www.pplelectric.com/utility/about-us/electric-rates-and-rules/remsi/foreign-load