SB 6519-S.E - DIGEST

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 2/13/04)

Declares that the purpose of this act is to prevent landlords, either themselves or through a third party billing agent, from billing tenants for master metered or other unmetered utility services without proper notice and disclosure of billing practices to tenants, and to protect tenants from deceptive or fraudulent billing practices, and to establish uniform statewide standards for third party utility billing that do not permit the adoption of inconsistent or more restrictive standards by any city, code city, or county.

Does not prevent a landlord from including a tenant's cost of master metered or unmetered utility services within the rent set forth in a rental agreement, and the practice of including that cost within a tenant's rent is not a billing practice or methodology affected by this act.

Does not affect the practices used by public utilities to bill and collect residential multiunit building owners or landlords for master metered or unmetered utility services.

Declares that a landlord shall not bill tenants separately for utility services except as permitted in this act.

Provides that a landlord may or may authorize a third party billing agent to bill tenants of a multiunit building for master metered or unmetered utility services provided to the tenants, only if the requirements of the act are met.