Maryland law requires that Landlords who use a ratio utility billing system provide all prospective Tenants with a written statement disclosing information regarding the billing system.


Maryland Lease Requirements: Ratio Utility Billing System Disclosure


Under Maryland law, Landlords who use a ratio utility billing system must provide Tenants with a written statement disclosing specific information about the billing system. A ratio utility billing system (RUBS) is defined as:

  • An allocation of one or more of a landlord’s utility charges, collected via a master meter, among the tenants by any method that does not measure actual per-tenant usage for the utility. Maryland Code, Real Property, § 8-212, 4(c)(1).


Landlords using a RUBS must provide all prospective Tenants with:

  • A list of utilities billed with this system
  • The method used for allocating the Tenant’s share of each utility
  • The average monthly bill of all units in the building over the previous calendar year
  • Any additional service charges or fees the Tenant is responsible for associated with the RUBS
  • A statement that any disputes regarding the calculation of the Tenant’s utility bill are between the Landlord and Tenant
  • Copies of two previous utility bills the Landlord received
  • A statement informing the Tenant of the right to inspect records used by the Landlord that document a utility bill


Our Maryland Ratio Utility Billing System Disclosure complies with Maryland law and is easy to customize online in minutes.

 You can also attach it as an addendum to your Maryland Lease Agreement.


Landlord Tenant Law in Maryland

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