How to protect yourself as an owner who pays utilities

[Danielle Weaver]

I have a house that’s a long term rental upstairs and a medium term downstairs. Since everything is on one meter we have decided to pay for utilities. We have rented the long term unit to family friends for over a year and the bills were always reasonable. They are about to move out and I’m nervous to rent to a stranger in the future with this same policy. I’m wondering how I can protect myself if they somehow rack up the bills/ abuse the policy. 

[Michael Smythe]

@Danielle Weaver what utility(s) are you paying for?

Electric: is the easiest to split, but may require holes cut in walls to separate the units.

Gas: gas lines aren't as flexible as wires, but it can usually be done affordably.

Water: most cities will NOT install additional water meters on a property. That's why most apartment buildings include water in the rent. There is a growing trend of apartment owners investing in submetering systems for water as these have gotten more affordable. Still too expensive for properties with small number of units.