How to manage inherited tenants?

[Amy Engelhard]

Dear BP community - 

I am looking at closing on my very first rental property, but wanted to get some advice before sealing the deal- 

Some details:

Location: NEPA , Clarks Summit, PA (close to Scranton)   - Anyone with experience in this area please comment with what may be customary in this area!

2 units - both currently occupied, but one is moving out.  By the time we have transferred ownership I will have one existing tenant and one vacancy.  

The occupied unit is being rented ~100$/mo below market rates.

The property is being managed by the current owner.

Here are my questions: 

1. Do I honor the existing lease for the tenant already in place (until it ends), or does he sign a new lease when I take over?  Do I ask the owner to send me the current lease agreement?

2. The property has gas heat (boiler) - not split out, so likely I will be paying this as the owner unless I can set up some other arrangement for the tenants to split the bill.  The winters here are freezing - how do the landlords out there manage their thermostat/heating bills?  I could install thermostats that can be controlled via an App on my phone to monitor the heat setting.. does anyone do this?

3.  To add to the heating discussion - does anyone local have an idea how much my gas bill would be in the winter months for this roughly~3,000sq ft house?  Would the gas company be able to provide this information?

4. Garbage/water - Owner pays?  Any way around this?

5. Snow removal - tenant responsibility?

Thanks in advance!