Kansas City landlords who bill tenants for water, trash, or other municipal services through ratio utility billing or sub-metering must disclose method and amounts in writing under the Tenant Bill of Rights, with Missouri Public Service Commission rules also applying to certain master-metered utilities.
Under KCMO Ord. 220011, the lease must disclose any pass-through charges in plain language: trash fees attached to KC Water bills, stormwater fees, sub-metered electric or gas, and proportional shares for master-metered services. Improperly hidden pass-throughs can be reframed as undisclosed rent and challenged. KC Water bills are billed to the property owner of record; passing through to tenants requires explicit lease authorization and reasonable allocation. The Missouri Public Service Commission supervises certain investor-owned utilities and prohibits resale of gas and electric service at a markup absent a tariff exception.
Undisclosed pass-throughs can be ordered refunded plus penalties under Ord. 220011 enforcement, and unauthorized utility resale at a markup may be referred to the MO Public Service Commission for enforcement against the landlord.
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See how Kansas City's pass-through charges rules stack up against other locations.
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