At the end of the year charge/refund the difference in the actual charges.Use the previous method but break out utilities for the units on each shared meter instead of the total cost for all meters.Break up each bill as it arrives. and divide it by units on the meter This would add a lot of overhead to the work load.For water, gas and trash service I think it would be acceptable to share the costs based on sqft.I just dont know what the common practice is and my experience isn't in commercial offices.

Maybe there is a comparative loose piece under the house I can break.

It looks to me that the seller just thinks he will break $1 million by selling 3 run down properties 

Listings typically break out if the gas is separate and yes you will see multiple meters.  

@Jeremy Tillotson  anyone in the business long enough will run into one of these.what I get a kick out of is buyers of new homes or turn key homes have an inspection and the inspector finds a little bit of MOld and all hell breaks lose.. and then you have these folks who have lived successfully in a petrie dish for decades LOL..

If they return it in good condition, they can still get their deposit back without penalty for breaking the lease.Don't get caught up in childish games because the tenant has the advantage by making your life difficult for a long period of time.

Does the two months break matter?

I have been trying to break into the investment game for quite a while now and I truly feel that it's now or never.

mother-in-law, mother-daughter, jack-and-jill, 'Summer Kitchen' and/or maid's quarters yada yada  - as many mansions and other estates traditionally do -  if its a SFD that means per code/ordinances etc u cant rent separate tent dwelling/apartments within it - only maybe a room or so.thats why instead, large SFDs with a duplex layout (or maybe even a 'back house') to spare will 'rent out a room' to avoid grossly breaking zoning and C of O rules for a single fam dwelling. of course that means either the kitchen is inherently shared or one of the persons (ie, a college student, or a raw vegan) simply does not need access to a traditional kitchen whatsoever.

In Ohio, whether you're a licensed real estate agent or not, the Division of Real Estate will get involved if you break license law.