Can anyone confirm if RUBS (water/sewer bill-back) is legal in Euclid, Ohio?

[Karl Kauper]

Hi everyone,

I own a 12-unit apartment building in Euclid, Ohio (fully master-metered for water/sewer). I’ve been looking into setting up a RUBS system — probably billing tenants back for about 75% of the total monthly water/sewer bill, divided equally among all occupied units.

I’ve read that some cities in Ohio (like Cleveland) prohibit or discourage RUBS, but I haven’t been able to find anything specific in the Euclid municipal code. Has anyone here actually confirmed whether Euclid allows or disallows this practice?

Before anyone says, “Why not just raise the rent?” — I prefer RUBS because it:

— encourages tenants to conserve water and report leaks quickly,

— adjusts automatically when utility rates change, and

— keeps my base rent lower in online listings, which helps with marketing.

If anyone has firsthand experience or can point me to an official Euclid or Cuyahoga County source on this, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

— Karl