Landlord Question and Answer Forum

We just bought a duplex with a shared gas meter so need to put gas in our name. However, gas costs are so variable that we want to ensure we are covered, but not over inflate the rent. We want to charge for actual cost of gas as a separate monthly fee in addition to rent. We planned to split the monthly bill by some formulae...I was thinking 50% divided by number of persons and 50% divided by square footage..there's a 1 bed and 2 bed appt. Then just charge the actual amount billed by PGE in the next months rent. That way we're covered, and the tenants only pay for what they use. Question is, is it legal to pass on these gas charges outside of rent for a shared meter?

Most utility companies will now put a remote and digital gauge on your meter speak with them directly and now that everyone is going eco-friendly it should be very easy to get an accurate measure for just your unit or separate units.

Posted by Richard W, PA on Sunday, May 17, 2015