The gas and electrical meters can be separate from the main house.

The time spent meeting pest inspectors, home inspectors, roof inspectors, HVAC guys, septic inspections, any contractors for work that needs done, photographers (paid by selling agent) signs and other marketing, Omissions and Errors insurance, MLS fees, NAR/CAR fees, car insurance, gas, only to have a deal fall apart over something.

Also, if the tenets already pay for their own electric and gas can you use RUBS (if leagal) for water and sewer?

I have a gas station in Los Angeles and it is one of the only gas stations within the city where not a single homeless person is at the pumps or at the door or on the lot asking for change.

If you can find a 4 family in MA with centralized heat (oil or gas) and knob and tube wiring you could get $60,000 from mass save for your project plus a bunch of free stuff.

As for any oil tank, if they're leaking oil into the ground then yes you have an environmental issue to deal with. 

Did someone install too small a system, did the Freon leak out, are the air filters dirty. 

You are not required to pay upfront costs (and shouldn't, in my opinion.)I require written verification from utility companies (water, gas, electric) that utilities have been assigned to Tenant effective the first day of occupancy; no confirmation = no keys and lease approval withdrawn).

We made several improvements to the property when we got it - a totally new gas line, a totally new water line including all the lines from the street and pex plumbing installed.

Jobs, stores, roads, healthcare services, and gas stations can all be destroyed in a disaster, as is often shown in the news.