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I live in a brownstone in Jersey City. There is a first floor apartment, then I have the second and third floors. I suspect the city does not know that it is a two-family house. First, does the landlord need to register the house as a two-family because there are two apartments?
Most importantly, there is only one electrical meter, water meter, gas meter, and furnace. The landlord has me paying for 2/3 of the utilities because I occupy 2/3 of the property. While a logical idea initially, it has become a source of some issue. Must the property have an electrical meter/ service for each unit? Does it matter that it is only a two unit property? Can he legally separate the utilities?
This has become an issue recently because the downstairs tenant is utterly irresponsible with the utilities. I want an exact amount of what I use and owe. I think this is a fair request, but he has no way of providing it. Does anyone have any statutes or polices that they can quote?
I don't know what the legal requirements are, but when I lived in a brownstone in JC, there were 4 apartments and each one had it's own furnace and water heater. And each apartment had it's own electric and gas meter.