How to state utilities in a rental ad so there are no surprises
List every utility one by one and say who pays it: water, sewer, trash, gas, electric, internet. Write "included in rent", "tenant pays the utility company" or "flat monthly fee of $X" for each, and never use "utilities included" alone. Renters compare ads on total monthly cost, and a vague line is the top source of disputes after move-in.
Why "utilities included" fails
To one renter it means everything. To another it means water and trash. To you it may mean everything except electricity. The renter reads the ad once, and the lease says something else. Fix it by naming each utility.
A simple utility table for the ad
| Utility | Who pays | How to word it |
|---|---|---|
| Water and sewer | Owner, tenant or split | "Water and sewer included" or "Tenant pays the city water bill". |
| Trash | Owner or tenant | "Trash pickup included" or "Tenant arranges and pays for trash". |
| Gas | Tenant or owner | Say if gas heats the home, the stove, or both. |
| Electric | Tenant usually | "Tenant pays electric; separate meter." |
| Internet and cable | Tenant usually | "Tenant sets up internet; fiber available" only if true. |
| Landscaping and snow | Owner or tenant | Name who handles it. |
Flat fees and shared meters
If you bill tenants a flat monthly amount for water or trash, or split a shared meter, that amount is a mandatory monthly charge, and in some places it counts toward the price you must show. Colorado's law requires charges you collect to be included in the advertised total, while charges billed directly by a utility provider are treated differently (see Spencer Fane's summary). Give the amount, how it is set and how it can change. See rental ad total price.
Example a made-up building bills each unit a flat $45 a month for water, sewer and trash. The ad says: "Rent $1,300 plus $45 flat water, sewer and trash fee: $1,345 a month. Tenant pays electric directly to the utility."
Help renters estimate what they will pay
- Say whether the electric and gas are separate meters.
- Name the utility companies so renters can ask for typical bills.
- Give a typical range only if you have real bills from earlier tenants, and say it is a range, not a promise.
- Note any extra: central heat, gas fireplace, electric heat.
Make the lease match the ad
Put the same list in the lease, with who pays each utility, and keep a copy of the ad as it was published. If the ad and the lease disagree, a tenant can point to the ad. Check your state's rules on billing tenants for shared meters or flat fees. See utility billing in rentals.
A full example of the utility lines
A clear ad might read: water and sewer included; trash included; gas for the stove and heat paid by the tenant to the gas company; electric paid by the tenant, separate meter; internet arranged by the tenant, with two providers available at the address. Each line is short, names who pays, and can be copied into the lease word for word. If anything changes, such as a new flat fee, update the ad, the lease and any message templates the same day.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping's listing page shows the rent, deposit, pet rules and amenities from the listing, and you add which utilities the tenant pays in the description or the pet notes, where the fair housing check runs on save. You choose the words and the numbers; DoorKeeping does not set fees. Ask Claude or ChatGPT, connected to DoorKeeping, to draft the utility lines from your lease, then read them before you publish. See the connect page.
Sources
- Spencer Fane: The price is right and final, Colorado HB 25-1090, read Oct 31, 2026
- DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 31, 2026
Questions
- Should I list the utility companies in the ad?
- It helps. Naming the electric, gas and water providers lets a renter ask them for typical bills before applying, which cuts surprises after move-in.
- What does "utilities included" mean in a rental listing?
- It has no standard meaning. List each utility and say who pays it instead.
- Should the ad show a flat water or trash fee?
- Yes, and include it in the monthly total where the law requires.
- Can I give a typical electric bill in the ad?
- Only as a range from real past bills, labeled as an estimate.