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July 6, 2007
Shared Utilities
I want to convert a one family house to a two family. Do I need separate meters for gas and electricity for both units?
Comments
If the utilities are going to be included in the rent you do not. If you want the gas and electric bills to be separate from the rent, yes.
Posted by: anon at July 6, 2007 4:38 PM
Do you want to pay for the other unit to leave the lights on 24x7 and to keep the AC set at 60F all summer, regargless of the temp outside? If yes, then don't get a separate meter, and just split the cost and subsidise the other unit.
But if you want the other unit to have to pay for what ever wasteful or furgal use they have, then get that second meter.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 6, 2007 5:05 PM
Ouch! Second post is a little severe. We changed the C of O on a one family to a two, but left one meter for both gas and electric. Utilities are factored into the rent. It would have been far too costly for us to have all the gas and electric lines re-run to separate into two meters. Con Ed was less than cooperative about coming to do it, too. We watched the increase in our bills month to month and adjusted the monthly rent accordingly. It's worked out for us. If you are in early stages of construction and can run separate lines - by all means do it, but we've done just fine without.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 6, 2007 9:31 PM
I agree with 9:31, it would have cost us almost 3,000, so we share a meter. Make sure you screen your tenants very well.
Posted by: anon at July 7, 2007 1:44 PM
I am not trying to be a smartass, I am seriously curious. How do you screen a prospective tenant for energy consumption?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 7, 2007 6:44 PM
Good question. I'd like to know the answer to that as well, 1:44.???
Posted by: 6:44 at July 7, 2007 8:59 PM
might be unethical, but I screen for personality. I ask a lot of questions about their lifestyle. After many years this has worked well for me. I have always had loveley. respectful tenants.
Posted by: anon at July 8, 2007 8:39 AM
Another thing you might do is to spilt the common bill according to sq. footage of units. Keeps you both sort of in line. But talking to the tenant is probably the best.
Posted by: anon at July 8, 2007 5:18 PM
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