How to bill tenants for water in a mobile-home park (the legal way)
If your park is on one master water meter, you're almost certainly leaving money on the table, or eating a bill your tenants ran up. Here's how small parks bill water fairly, and stay on the right side of the rules.
Master meter vs. submeters
Most older parks have a single master meter: the utility bills the park, and the owner eats the cost or folds a flat guess into rent. Submeters put a small meter at each lot, so you can bill each tenant for exactly what they used.
The no-markup rule
Many states treat pass-through utility billing as fine only if you bill at cost. You divide the utility's rate across measured usage and add no margin. A billing tool should itemize the read, the rate, and the total on the tenant's bill, so it's obvious you didn't mark it up.
Rule of thumb: bill what you paid, show your work, and keep the meter reads. If a tenant ever disputes a bill, the itemized read is your answer.
The paperwork
Check your state's rules on submetered billing and what has to appear on the bill (the prior read, the current read, the rate, and the service period are common). Lot Sidekick's water line does this for you and files the reads.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your state's rules govern. When in doubt, ask a local attorney who knows manufactured-housing law.
Lot Sidekick itemizes submetered water on every bill automatically. Your manager keys the reads from a phone and each tenant is billed at cost. Send your spreadsheet and I'll set up your park, or see the live demo, or call (425) 405-0734.