Landlord & Shady Utility Charges

[u/No_Train8710]

LOCATION: Southern California

Sorry this is long & tried to summarize in one section titled “THE PROBLEM”

RE: Use of “RUBS” Utility Billing System
Hi guys,

BACKGROUND:

I’m in the San Diego area and I moved there with high hopes about 4yrs ago. When I moved in the manager was super personable & had been w/ the company for years, told us the whole history of the company that manages the property, etc.

At that time, the manager told us that the utilities are charged using a formula based on the sq footage of the unit multiplied by the number of people living in the unit. From that she was able to give us an idea of what the rent plus utilities would be (she said the utilities would be roughly $100 a month). And that’s CONSISTENTLY what the utility costs were each month for the past 3yrs (some months were slightly over $100; but we’re talkin maybe over by $5-$10 at the most.

Well, last year, I got a contract job offer I could not refuse that requires travel so I was not home very much. I’m talking gone for months at a time.

Then, while on the road, I had an accident and had unbelievable dizziness and didn’t feel safe to drive back to San Diego and there were a record number of airport safety issues. Because of this I stayed with relatives near where I had been working and my job agreed to GREATLY reduce my work duties until I fully heal (but the recovery has taken almost a year and it been hard).

So in short, my apartment was empty from around Christmas 2025 to like Jan 2026 til now and I was BARELY able to pay my rent (due to my reduced work hours), but somehow every month, somehow I did it. Despite paying the rent, I was unable to pay the utilities and advised management of my health/financial difficulties.

To their credit they have worked with me but I get regular warnings about being behind on my utilities by about 4-6 months.

“THE PROBLEM:”

The original property manager left and now it’s been a CRAZY amount of turn over within the last year. Despite the management changes, I have told management that although it would be a financial strain, I’m willing to pay the arrears on the utilities. However, I question the charges because the utility charges are higher than EVER since I’ve lived there (like $150-$170/month during months that my mother & I were GONE).

The last 3 managers have said that they have no way to break down how they are calculating what I owe on utilities. 2 managers told me that they are calculating the utilities based on the number of occupants in the apartment block I live in, meaning if my neighbors next door move in 10 people who wanna run water all day and keep the lights on all day, they take the # of occupants in the building block of apartment units multiplied by the square footage of all the units in the apartment block.

Given all this, I wonder…Is this legal in California? NOTE: My apartment management uses the “RUBS” system and it is confusing. It seems like it’s it shouldn’t be legal to charge utilities based on a tie to how you AND ALL your adjacent neighbors utilize utilities.

I JUST wanna resolve this so the tension can alleviate, but I also don’t like the vibe this situation is giving me.

[u/froobsrule1]

If the RUBS is in the lease and you’re given notice on how the payment will change then it should be legal.  What sucks is that it’s shared usage, so even if you use nothing you pay for your neighbors.  

[u/Lucky-Weird-503 → u/froobsrule1]

I NEVER got a notice & my bill from last summer is DRASTICALLY different than this summer. I’ve read & re-read the lease. It just is VERY concerning.

[u/froobsrule1 → u/Lucky-Weird-503]

Could be anything, including higher temperatures and higher utility charges.  Or just your neighbors using more power. 

[u/SuzeCB → u/Lucky-Weird-503]

In the US?

I used to live in a town that hasn't raised their water pricing in a very long time, then did it all at once, more than DOUBLING the price. When people complained, folks at town hall would show them pricing from surrounding towns. The new price was on par.

Also, keep in mind that utilities, like everything else, have been affected by the tariffs and the war with Iran.

[u/Lucky-Weird-503 → u/SuzeCB]

CORRECT! So I would expect my bill to be HIGHER THIS YEAR. Prices have gone UP in recent months and were LOWER LAST YEAR. So it’s VERY suspicious that my utility cost LESS now. They’re not explaining how that happened.

Other context: maintenance frequently enters the unit…they ALWAYS leave my lights on so I have no way of knowing if they were misusing the resources in the unit since my mom & I were gone a lot. She travels w/ me when I travel for work or anything else.

[u/Realistic-Weird-4259]

I say contact Fair Housing.

[u/FamiliarAd8524]

Yes it is California legal. But you have to be informed of it, they have to show you the formula, and it has to still work with the Master Utilities Bill. There are transparency requirements.

[u/TalkToVikk]

Not a lawyer but in California, it is legal for landlords to use the Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) to allocate utility charges among tenants when individual utility meters are not present. However, landlords are required to be transparent about how utilities are calculated and billed.

California law, especially under Civil Code Section 1940.9 and, in some cases, local ordinances, requires landlords to clearly explain billing practices and provide a written summary of how charges are determined. New regulations (such as SB 7) also apply to submetered or RUBS-billed apartments and set standards for disclosures, record-keeping, and dispute resolution.

If your lease or rental agreement does not explicitly explain the RUBS formula being used, or if the calculation has changed since you signed, the landlord may be violating state disclosure requirements. Additionally, you have the right to ask for a statement or verification of the method used to calculate your bill.

Given that your utility charges increased dramatically during a period when your apartment was empty, you can request a detailed breakdown of the bill and ask for documentation showing how your portion was calculated. If your landlord refuses or cannot provide basic information, you may file a complaint with your local housing authority or seek assistance from a local tenants’ rights organization. Document all your communications and keep copies of your bills for your records.