renting a 'Duplex' and figuring out the Utility bill

[andylawcc]

so my friends and I are looking to move; we found a place that we liked, and it was originally a huge 5 bedroom single house and the landlord split it into two (not really a 'duplex', but i dunno how to call this monstrosity).
So now, the landlord is going to pay for water and trash, but with electricity, he never thought it through and don't know how to charge us for it.
What's a fair way to calculate it? It's only one meter and there is no accurate way to discern the front unit and the back unit.
The only realistic way i can think of is to use a flat rate, but how to account for summer time when we are blasting AC all day? (we in South Cal, we do not brace for winter)

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Pretty much the landlord has to figure it out. Either a flat rate or a 50/50 split - he really should have a separate meter if he wants to do it right.

 

[fstime]

If there is only 1 meter, landlord is responsible for the bill 100% (its going to be in his name) similarly how tenants are not responsible water bills because most houses only have 1 water meter.

The only thing he can do include an estimated cost into the rent. That is his problem for being pretty stupid in not putting up a second meter. His conversion from a single family -> 2 family may not even be legal and this is his way of getting around doing things the proper way.

 

[Genx87]

Sounds like a poorly thought out plan by the landlord. If it is a true duplex it should have separate utilities. This guy sounds like he is renting out part of his house and calling it a duplex.

Have to ask him to figure it out before you move in. Then get it in writing.

 

[andylawcc]

well, the landlord seems like a nice guy, just didn't have the foresight before he took the plunge and split up the house.

just want to see if there is a fair way to do this for the interest of both parties... and the eventual back unit tenant too, they will say "hey, it's the front units guy that's sucking up all the power, not us"

 

[smackababy]

The only thing he can do include an estimated cost into the rent. That is his problem for being pretty stupid in not putting up a second meter. His conversion from a single family -> 2 family may not even be legal and this is his way of getting around doing things the proper way.

This was my initial thought. There is a good chance this "duplex" isn't exactly legal. I'd look elsewhere, if for no other reason than to avoid the headache of dealing with this numbskull.

 

[fstime]

What's going to happen is, he is going to take the going rate for a comparable apartment in your area and add lets say, $100.

So if the average 3 BR apartment goes for $1500/month, he will rent your apartment for $1600/month because he is paying for the electricity.

If you use $200 worth of electricity in a month, well there isn't much he can do about it except not renew your lease after a year. That is the problem with landlords paying for utilities.

 

[Imp]

I would just get a second meter installed somehow. A 50/50 split would lead to resentment at some point.

 

[dr150]

<-------Dulplex investment property owner

You should request that he put a separate meter in for electricity.

Electricity is the responsibility of the tenants but each duplex should have it's own meter for this.

Your owner should know better

 

[andylawcc]

thanks guys!

he did ask us for our past electric bill, which just so happen to be in the same city and with the same three of us roommates. So he can take an average and use that amount.

But i can still see this will lead to some resentment down the road, unless he will accept it as a small price to pay for not installing a meter.

 

[andylawcc]

so how much is installing a meter? we talking in the hundreds here or in the thousand?

 

[SlitheryDee]

He should probably just look at usage from past tenants and get as close as he can with a flat rate. If he's a decent landlord he'll round down and eat a little bit of the electricity cost.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Most of the converted duplex/triplexes/whatever around here don't have separate meters for each unit. The owner pays for the utes and figures out the rent to cover them. It isn't exactly easy to install separate meters for every unit unless you want to completely rewire and replumb the house.

 

[NoCreativity]

so how much is installing a meter? we talking in the hundreds here or in the thousand?

It's not just the meter. He may have to rewire some of the house. New panel? It won't just be hundreds.

 

[Ns1]

I seriously doubt the legality of this. Are the addresses correct? ie an address for both the front and back?

 

[feralkid]

I would just get a second meter installed somehow.

I doubt the wiring circuitry was changed when it was split, so that's not going to be easy.

 

[TheSlamma]

Screw that, the people you share it with will run the T-stat at 80 in the winter and 65 in the summer. You will get screwed

 

[NetWareHead]

In this situation, landlord pays for the electrical cost. He should figure it into the rent.



In some cases like a 2 family house, the water/sewer and trash are the most common items billed to the single structure that cannot be separated.

Multi-tenant units with things like shared heat are less than desirable from a landlord perspective IMO. Shared electric is probably the worst. Splitting a home electrical system is not that expensive, just some labor and materials. You can even trace the cables you want off the landlord panel and installed into the new panel yourself and thus saving some labor cost. Something as drastic as a new circuit breaker panel I would pull a permit for from the town (especially if tenants are living there).

 

[NetWareHead]

Screw that, the people you share it with will run the T-stat at 80 in the winter and 65 in the summer. You will get screwed

Landlord dummy thermostat + placebo effect to the rescue.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I used to have tenants on my meter. I just increased the rent and charged a flat rate...I wasn't excessive and it made the unit that much easier to rent.

 

[feralkid]

so how much is installing a meter? we talking in the hundreds here or in the thousand?

Many thousands, more likely.

All of the circuits will have to be divided and re-routed to separate service entrance/meter boxes.

That's rarely as simple as it may sound.


Flat rate added to the rent is probably the best solution, as many here have already posted.






.

 

[NetWareHead]

Many thousands, more likely.

All of the circuits will have to be divided and re-routed to separate service entrance/meter boxes.

That's rarely as simple as it may sound.

D'oh forgot about the new meter... yeah this may get expensive

 

[edro]

No easy way to split electrical, water OR HVAC, so the landlord will have to estimate it and charge you a flat rate.

What about laundry? Dryer is the largest consumer of elec. (unless you have elec heat as well)

He can put something in the lease about possibly increasing it every 6 months to cover his ass if he underestimates.

I knew a guy who lived in an old house that was split 4 ways.
Each section had lock boxes on the thermostats so no one could adjust.
I taught him how to pick the lock.

 

[andylawcc]

evil Edro, evil

anyway, the "He can put something in the lease about possibly increasing it every 6 months to cover his ass if he underestimates" will be the final bargain chip should he not give in.