So I closed on a property that is 6 units. It has 3 electric meters. One for two units. One for 3 units. And one for a larger commercial building that I may rent to more than one tenant. Gas and water are all on one meter. I know most of you will say to not have joint meters but it is not always possible/feasible. I know some of you would walk away from deals like this so please bear with me.
Separating the utilities would be very costly and the current tenants are used to paying a $200+ premium for utilities included. The premium covers the last 12 month average of bills so I am not overly worried about costs however only two of the units are rented currently.
My questions fall below.
Does $200 a month sound high? Ive never priced this out before as typically I have always ran formulas and dealt with them paying the utilities.
What are some best practices to help reduce the utility bills? I want to ensure the amount is reasonable for the area for incoming tenants. If I can reduce the bills and lower rents I may however I definitely want to make sure the bills are paid. It can make or break the property if abused.
Any other things I should be concerned about. TIA