The previous landlord does not have a written lease, he has just been renewing the lease verbally so technically she does not have a lease now.

Since I’ve only had one rental and that was technically a roommate I’m feeling I might want to start first with a single-family unit that’s small but still generates after a rehab.

On another note, as a gc are most of your subs technically separate entities or your crews?

I'm still researching this but wanted to post some updates based on what I learned so far:1. although technically possible it is illegal in NJ for a landlord to submeter power to tenants with a 3rd party metering company2. in new construction situations they have been getting around this by just charging 'extra rent' for the power and having it be the landlord's responsibility.  

That it is technically a lease violation.

Yes, you are paying more than asked for, but you may not be *technically* paying more than what it's worth. 

Technically I think he should had been the one to be on top of this and told me about it but he’s a busy man. 

I always caution investors against doing business with family and friends.But if you're determined to take this route, then your technical question has been answered.

Your agent might be able to sue you for fess they acquired in good faith effort to sell your property - marketing, includes pictures etc. this can go into other things based on a procuring cause as well when breach of contract has been established;If you went the FSBO route after ‘firing’ your agent, any buyer that came through that was a result of the first efforts made by your agent could be grounds for a suit of commission as they were the original procuring cause (they technically brought the buyer to your property first with their efforts), if you went on to ‘bad mouth’ your agent a subsequent defamation suit could possibly arise.

They began insisting that they were entitled to rent reduction or outright abatement since part of the space they technically signed the lease for was uninhabitable.