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Guide Connecticut (CT)

Connecticut utility billing and RUBS: what landlords should know

By MeterEase · Updated

In Connecticut, the owner of a residential building is liable for utilities furnished to the building, except service to a unit that is individually metered or billed for its exclusive use. In 2024 the Connecticut Supreme Court held that this statute, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-262e(c), does not allow a landlord to use RUBS to recoup master-metered utility costs from tenants. Public Act 26-113 adds a matching lease rule for rental agreements entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2026.

What the Connecticut sources say

  • The owner, agent, lessor or manager of a residential dwelling is liable for the costs of all electricity, gas, water or heating fuel furnished to the building, except service furnished to a dwelling unit on an individually metered or billed basis for the exclusive use of its occupants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-262e(c)).
  • In Northland Investment Corp. v. Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (SC 20769, officially released May 7, 2024), the Connecticut Supreme Court upheld PURA’s determination that § 16-262e(c) prohibits a landlord’s use of ratio utility billing to recoup building-wide utility costs by billing tenants for an estimated, proportionate share.
  • The same decision treated the “building in” approach differently: a landlord with master meters may estimate the year’s utility costs and build that figure into the monthly rent.
  • Public Act 26-113 amends Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4: a rental agreement may not provide that the tenant agrees to pay for utilities billed to the tenant if no separate meter is used to measure utilities delivered exclusively to the tenant’s unit, and such a provision is unenforceable. It is effective October 1, 2026, and applies to rental agreements entered into or renewed on or after that date.
  • Section 47a-4 already provided that a rental agreement may not require a tenant to pay a heat or utilities surcharge if heat or utilities are included in the rental agreement.
  • If service is not individually metered or billed and the landlord does not pay for it, an occupant who receives service in their own name may deduct a reasonable estimate of the cost of service used by other units, and payments made under the section count in place of an equal amount of rent (§ 16-262e(c)–(d)).

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

  • For units with their own meter, the lease can say which utilities the tenant pays and whether the account is in the tenant’s name.
  • For master-metered buildings, the court described building estimated utility costs into the rent as a different approach from RUBS.
  • Check your lease and local rules for anything beyond what the sources above say.

Electricity and gas

Section 16-262e(c) covers electricity along with gas, water and heating fuel, so the same rules apply to a shared electric meter.

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 Connecticut 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, unless you turn on auto-send for a property. Plans start at $14/month.

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Questions

Is RUBS allowed in Connecticut?

The Connecticut Supreme Court held in 2024 that Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-262e(c) prohibits a landlord’s use of RUBS to recoup building-wide utility costs from tenants in a master-metered building. Public Act 26-113 makes a lease provision unenforceable if it has the tenant pay for utilities billed to them when no separate meter measures their unit’s use, for leases entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can a Connecticut landlord include utilities in rent?

Yes, the court in Northland described building estimated utility costs into the monthly rent (the “building in” approach) as different from RUBS and consistent with how rent is usually set.

Which utilities does § 16-262e(c) cover?

Electricity, gas, water and heating fuel furnished to the building.

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.