RUBS vs. Submeter on Single Family House Hack

[Brenden Mitchum]

Hello everyone,

I know certain iterations of this question have been asked over and over again here, but I have not been able to find one that quite fits my situation.

I am in negotiations for a SFH in Gwinnett County, GA. There are 7 bedrooms in the house. 4 of the bedrooms have their own bathroom and kitchenette. I will be staying in one of those and renting out the other 3, plus a larger 3x2 living space. Right now the current landlord is dumping buckets of cash into the utility bill every month. My calculations have me breaking even every month if I do the same. This is not a terrible result of a house hack. However, this gives little wiggle room and I'd much prefer to find a way to make the tenants responsible, not only because it will reduce my costs, but also because it will reduce overall usage and be much more Earth-friendly.

Now I am aware I have two options here to have the tenants pay utilities: RUBS and submetering. I plan on discussing both options with the utility company once we enter due diligence. However, I would love to hear from some of you first.

If I could snap my fingers and make one happen, obviously I would take submetering. However, this may be very costly and I am tentative to do anything that would make the county think I am running some kind of 5-unit apartment or something. Does anyone have a solution to either of these points? 

In regards to RUBS, one of the tenants has been there 12 years without paying her utilities and the rest have been there at least a year or two without it. I am afraid they will argue about who is really using how much. Another issue here is that the controls for heat and a/c or only located in my unit and the 3x2.

I know this sounds messy but I have no doubt I will find a way to make it work. Any and all constructive advice and tips are welcomed! Thank you!