Can a Utah park profit on the utilities it bills?

No, not on service charges. Under Utah Code §57-16-4(4)(c), 'annual income to the park for service charges may not exceed the actual cost to the mobile home park of providing the services on an annual basis' (the park may include related maintenance costs). For public-utility costs, the lease must disclose how each resident's bill is calculated, including master-metered and submetered amounts (§57-16-4(3)(c)). This is general information, not advice about a specific bill — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Utah.

Mobile home utilities in Utah

Q: Does a Utah park have to show how it calculates utility charges?

Yes, annually. Under Utah Code §57-16-4(5), a park must give each resident (or post) at least once a year 'a conspicuous disclosure describing how the mobile home park calculated residents' charges for public utility services during the previous twelve-month billing period,' showing how the charges relate to the park's master-metered bill, the park-owned infrastructure, and the utility's approved rates. A single-service-meter park must itemize the resident's charges on the bill (§57-16-4(12)).

Q: Can a city water or sewer provider charge a Utah park more than other customers?

No. Under Utah Code §57-16-10, local water, sewer, and sanitation entities 'shall not receive a greater percentage net return from supplying a mobile home park than said entity receives from other residential customers' — a protection meant to keep the park's wholesale utility cost in line with ordinary residential rates.

Utah's Mobile Home Park Residency Act (Utah Code Title 57, Chapter 16) protects residents on utilities through cost caps, detailed disclosure, and a limit on what local utilities can charge a park. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Utah.

What the statute says

Section 57-16-4(4)(c) caps the park's markup: "Annual income to the park for service charges may not exceed the actual cost to the mobile home park of providing the services on an annual basis" (related maintenance costs may be included). The lease must give "a full disclosure of all costs charged by the mobile home park for public utility services and the method used to calculate each individual resident's public utility bill," including master-metered and submetered amounts (§57-16-4(3)(c)).

Section 57-16-4(5) requires an annual statement: a park must disclose "at least once each calendar year" how it "calculated residents' charges for public utility services during the previous twelve-month billing period," tied to "the mobile home park's master-metered bill," "utility infrastructure owned by the mobile home park owner," and "the applicable public utility's approved rates." A single-service-meter park must include "a full disclosure on a resident's utility bill of the resident's utility charges" (§57-16-4(12)).

Section 57-16-10 limits the wholesale side: local water, sewer, and sanitation entities "shall not receive a greater percentage net return from supplying a mobile home park than said entity receives from other residential customers."

How it works in general

If a Utah park bills residents for utilities, it can't profit on them — its annual service-charge income can't exceed its actual cost. The lease has to spell out exactly how each resident's utility bill is calculated (including master-metered allocations and submetered usage), and the park has to give an annual statement showing how its charges relate to its own utility bill and the utility's approved rates. On the supply side, a city or county water, sewer, or sanitation provider can't take a bigger percentage return from the park than from its other residential customers, which helps keep the park's underlying cost reasonable.

Common scenarios

General examples Utah park residents commonly encounter:

A park bills more for utilities than they cost. Its annual service-charge income can't exceed actual cost (§57-16-4(4)(c)).
A resident wants to see how the bill is figured. The park must disclose the calculation method in the lease and in an annual statement (§57-16-4(3)(c), (5)).
A city water provider charges the park a premium. It can't take a greater percentage return than from other residential customers (§57-16-10).

Other authorities that may apply

The Mobile Home Park Residency Act (§§57-16-4, 57-16-10) governs utility billing and disclosure, with a private right of action and attorney fees for a violation (§57-16-19). The Utah Public Service Commission and the Division of Public Utilities regulate jurisdictional utility service and rates. The written lease sets the billing terms within these limits.