Do make sure your water account is metered, not estimated, though.7.

Hi Ben,I have included the utilities in my rent cost for the tenants because there are only two gas and two water meters, so I don't have to worry about. 

There is currently only one main water line and we are considering adding a 2nd meter and a 2nd water line. 

I am getting $650/mo for a 700 sqft one bedroom with electricity included (due to a split meter situation). 

Overall, I am looking at: new roof, new drywall in about 50-70% of the project, insulation of attic, and external walls, new electric (with 4 new meters and wiring and outlets throughout), new plumbing, new hvac systems ( most likely ductless mini splits), new windows, redone flooring (stripping an d finishing oak floors), new kitchens, and new baths.

Owner-paid makes sense if there's no sub metering, but besides that is it tenant-paid?

Water Lines, water meters, Road access: I think he has about $20K invested for the site.7.

But it does not have to have a separate bathroom and it does not have to have separated meters.

A few months ago our local Utility company called to tell me that the Utilities are being placed back into my companies name (each one of our tenants in the duplex had both gas and Electric in their names with separate meters) because of the MN Stat 504B.215 that talks about shared services.

I'm a big fan of minimizing common areas, common amenities... and their inherent expenses to the small-time landlord... whenever possible.Think of common areas and amenities as the socialist part of your capitalist facility... encouraging irresponsible use and abuse...Your use of a direct payment system, like the coin-op timer, is a good step in the right direction.However... if you are going to use the basement as a common area... sounds like you need to have a common area electric service with its own meter...If you see no reasonable or affordable way to physically separate the common area utility circuits from the lower unit... then you might want to adjust the lower unit's rent to compensate...If you have decided not to do any re-wiring... another option might be to designate the basement, and all it entails, as belonging to the lower unit... since it is already wired that way...