Two houses, one meter

[Dan Brainard]

I'm in the process of buying a property with two separate houses on it. A 3/1 main house and a 2/1 house in the back of the property. The houses are not metered separately and the lot is zoned sfh and is located in Tampa Florida. Is it best to rent both houses to one party and have them be responsible for all utilities (this would probably mean sacrificing gross rent) or try to rent them separately and include utilities for a higher rental rates, but risk tenants being wasteful of light and water? Also, what legal implications apply in the latter scenario?