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Guide Arizona (AZ)

Arizona utility billing and RUBS: what landlords should know

By MeterEase · Updated

Arizona’s landlord-tenant act names RUBS directly. A.R.S. § 33-1314.01 says a landlord may charge separately for gas, water, wastewater, solid waste or electricity with submeters or a ratio utility billing system, recover what the utility charged plus an administrative fee for actual costs, and must describe the method in the rental agreement.

What the Arizona sources say

  • A landlord may charge separately for gas, water, wastewater, solid waste removal or electricity, either by submetering or by a ratio utility billing system (A.R.S. § 33-1314.01(A)).
  • The landlord may recover the charges the utility imposed plus an administrative fee for actual administrative costs only, and no other charges (§ 33-1314.01(B)).
  • The statute lists RUBS methods: per tenant, livable square footage, type of unit, number of water fixtures, a submetered hot-water measure for water and wastewater, or another method that fairly allocates the charges and is described in the rental agreement (§ 33-1314.01(F)).
  • For existing tenancies, the landlord gives at least 90 days’ notice before starting submetering or RUBS (§ 33-1314.01(G)).
  • Mobile home parks have their own section, A.R.S. § 33-2107, with a separate administrative-fee cap.

Each point links to its source at the bottom of this page. Rules change, and cities, counties and utilities can add their own. Read the source before you rely on it.

Common lease and disclosure practices

  • The rental agreement lists which utilities are billed separately and the amount of any administrative fee (§ 33-1314.01(B)).
  • It gives a specific description of the RUBS method used (§ 33-1314.01(G)).
  • Showing each tenant the master bill total, the method and their factor makes the charge easy to check.

Electricity and gas

Electricity is on the statute’s list, so it can be submetered or allocated. Check your utility’s tariff and any city rules before you start.

How to split it fairly

Where a formula split is allowed, pick one method, put it in the lease, and use it every month. Water tends to follow the number of people, so occupants or a blend of occupants and square footage is common. Trash is usually split equally per unit. Take common-area use out first if your rules call for it, and never bill tenants more in total than the master bill plus any fee your rules allow.

Not legal advice. This page summarizes public sources in plain English as of the date above. It is not legal advice and does not mean any billing method complies with the law for your property. Check your lease and local rules, and talk to a Arizona attorney if you are unsure.

Other states

Run this split every month without the spreadsheet

MeterEase reads the master bill PDF, applies your method and vacancy rule, and emails each tenant their share with the source bill attached, after you check the numbers. Plans start at $14/month.

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Questions

Is RUBS legal in Arizona?

A.R.S. § 33-1314.01 expressly allows landlords to allocate gas, water, wastewater, solid waste and electricity through a ratio utility billing system, with lease disclosure of the services billed, the method and any administrative fee. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can an Arizona landlord add a fee to the utility bill?

The statute allows an administrative fee for actual administrative costs only, stated in the rental agreement, and no other additional charges.

How much notice do current tenants get?

The statute calls for at least 90 days’ notice to existing tenants before a landlord starts submetering or RUBS.

Related guides

Sources

Example numbers on this page are made up to show the math. This guide is general information, not legal advice; rules differ by state, city and utility.