All utilities are electric (no gas, no central air).

Then when i do call oh by the way, a pipe under porch burst, and oh there's a gas leak from stove

Just got a bid on  replacing 32 double hung windows with energy star windows, half screens, with argon gas windows, aluminum wraps, tempered glass in the bathrooms.Initial bid came in at $18K, doing it two units at a time, but said he would knock it down to $16K if I did the entire job at once.  

- Utilities: Can you not have the tenant pay Garbage, Sewer, Water, Gas, Electricity, or are you obliged to cover certain utilities?

We've got good signs - 5% unemployment (tempered by the real unemployment rate is over 7%, tempered with the largest non-participating unemployed in history), we've got good signs 2.5% economic growth (tempered by that historically we should be closer to 4%), we've got good signs the Fed raised rates (tempered by they said they would raise 4 more times in 2016, watch and see if they do or they have to pull that back which is what everyone is predicting), we've got sub $2.00 gallon gas with consumers having $700 or more income to spend (tempered with a mild localized banking meltdown- Dallas Fed has suspended mark-to-market, JP Morgan for the first time since the recession (22 quarters) has had to increase it's loan loss reserve.

so sorry if it's a repeat question.Currently I pay for all utilities in the bungalow I rent out... since it has 2 units and only the one meter for gas and one for hydro.    

I've also caught a tenant forgetting to put the Gas bill in his name. 

Examples of Like-Kind Properties The following list of real property asset classes represents interests in real property that usually qualify as like-kind property for 1031 Exchange purposes: Single Family Residential Property Multi-Family Property (Apartments) Commercial Office Properties Retail Shopping Properties Industrial Warehouse Properties Triple Net Lease (Net Lease or NNN) Investment PropertiesAgricultural (Farm) Properties Vacant Undeveloped Land Oil & Gas InterestsMineral RightsWater RightsAir Rights Easements in perpetuityLeases with a remaining life, including options, of 30 years or more Tenant-In-Common "TIC" Investment Property InterestsDelaware Statutory Trusts "DSTs" Investment Property Interests Vacation rental properties (income producing) You can 1031 Exchange between all of these types of real estate.

Good thing is that the duplex I am worried about most both tenants keep their thermostats at 90 degrees in the winter (thank god electricity and gas are separately metered) so my hope is that the high heat in the interior of the home travels the thermal bridge of the roof joists and aids in the melting of the snow on the roof... may be wishful thinking.  

Great points above from  @Matthew Forbes, @Cary Plotkin and @Bruce G. as to not being able to raise rents perpetually with no value add.