Submetering is when a community buys a utility (often water) from the provider through a master meter and then measures each home's usage with an individual submeter and bills residents for what they used. Some parks instead 'allocate' a master-meter bill among homes by a formula. This is general information, not legal advice; see your state's FightMyPark utilities guide.

Can a park charge me more than the utility costs?

It depends on your state. Several states bar a community from charging residents more than the park's actual per-unit cost for a submetered utility, require itemized bills, and limit or prohibit markups; others allow only a disclosed administrative fee. Some states have no cap at all. Check your state's utilities guide.

What should a submetered utility bill show?

Where state law addresses it, a bill typically must be itemized — showing the amount of the utility used and the rate or cost per unit — so you can check it against your usage. If your bill is a flat charge unrelated to use, or includes unexplained add-ons, that may be worth questioning under your state's rules.

Submetering: how parks bill utilities

Many manufactured home communities don't just collect lot rent — they also bill residents for utilities like water, sewer, gas, or electricity. Often the park buys the utility in bulk and passes the cost to residents through submetering or an allocation formula. This article explains how that works and what to watch for. It is general information, not legal advice; because utility-billing rules are set by state law, see your state's FightMyPark utilities guide.

How submetering works

In a submetered community, the park has a master meter with the utility provider and an individual submeter at each home. The park reads each submeter and bills the resident for the amount used, usually based on the provider's rate. The idea is that residents pay for their own consumption rather than splitting a lump sum.

Some communities instead use allocation (sometimes called ratio billing): there are no individual submeters, so the park divides the master-meter bill among homes using a formula — by home size, number of occupants, or an equal share. Allocation is less precise than true submetering and is regulated differently in some states.

What state rules commonly require

Utility billing in communities is generally governed by state law — sometimes a public utility commission, sometimes the mobile-home-park statute. Common protections, where they exist, include:

Cost limits. Several states bar the park from charging more than its actual per-unit cost for a submetered utility — no markup — or allow only a disclosed, reasonable administrative fee.
Itemized bills. Many states require the bill to show the amount used and the cost per unit, so residents can verify it.
Disclosure. The rate or the method of calculating the charge often must be stated in the lease.
Maintenance. The park is frequently responsible for maintaining the utility lines it owns.
No shutoffs to evict. Cutting off a resident's utilities as a way to force them out is widely prohibited; eviction must go through court.

Not every state has these rules — some leave utility billing to the lease and the public utility commission — so coverage varies.

What to look at on a bill

On a submetered or allocated bill, it is reasonable to check that the bill is itemized, that the rate matches what the provider charges, that any administrative fee is disclosed and modest, and that charges track your actual usage. A flat utility charge unrelated to use, an unexplained markup, or a fee that isn't in your lease may be worth questioning under your state's rules.

Where to learn more

Whether a park can mark up utilities, how bills must be itemized, and who regulates the charge all depend on your state, so your state's FightMyPark utilities guide is the place to confirm the rule that applies. The submetering comparison calculator can help you check a bill against your usage, and the submetering-rights cheat sheet summarizes the common protections.