Utilize these resources!

You should be able to run an utility knife on the edges to cut splines then pull/scrape them off.

Whose name are the utilities in?

I am about to break ground on the remodel of my home and am building an ADU over my garage for the same property.My question is....is it worth spending the money to separate the utilities or just have one water, electric and gas meter?

When house hacking or just renting in general, what are the pros and cons of including utilities?

(All pools are usable etc.)What are the typical costs of utilities, property taxes, insurance and the cost of furnishing the property in a manner consistent with the rules?

the issue at hand is a question of whether the property is considered abandoned or a hold over. this issue would vary slightly state to state, and would most likely fall on the judgement of the judge who presides over the case. however, if nothing has been removed from the apartment, I doubt any judge would call it abandoned, perhaps if all utilities are turned off you may have an argument. if everything is missing except garbage and maybe a couch, then you are probably looking at abandonment, but from the way the story reads, I doubt any judge would be happy with what the landlord did.

However, the house is a former duplex that has separate utilities, egresses, etc.On top of that I found out that the smaller frontage of the lot means that the municipality in which it's located probably is not amenable to allowing the lot to be split. 

As a reminder for any other readers, the 50% rule applies to gross rents and accounts for all expenses like management fees, taxes, insurance, vacancy, maintenance, Capex, utilities, water, legal, yard, etc..You should only use the 50% rule for a quick analysis and a true historical picture of expenses on a property is preferred.

Looking for some new reading material, want to read more on wholesaling and anything on apartments.