Do Landlords Pay Utilities?

[Tory Brown]

Hello all BiggerPockets humans!

This is officially my first ever question posted on the forums which is a bit nerve-racking but I have to start somewhere right?

I am in the process of buying a four-plex in Butte, Montana. My first ever multi-family unit and my third property acquisition to date. I'm hoping that this property will be the sling-shot to really fuel my real estate ambitions. 

I am wondering if landlords of duplexes, four-plexes, and even larger multi-family properties usually pay the utilities for their tenants? The current owner does and I am seeing the expenses for utilites go from $300/mo in the summer up to $800/mo. in the winter with Montana winters getting pretty brutal some years. I am thinking of slightly lowering rent in order to have the tenants start paying their own utilities. I am sure they are all going to freak out about this and I might lose a few but I figured it needs to happen at some point.

If anybody has any insight into this and possibly how to ease the tenants into this new expense on their end, I would sincerely appreciate it!

Thanks everyone,

Tory