All Forum Posts by: Drew Feutz

@Vinay H. thank you for your response! I have read the zoning rules, but cannot find anything dealing with this.

Thank you, @Johann Jells!

Are there any issues with renting a single family home to multiple families, if the house is equipped to do so? Does the home have to be classified as a multiple family dwelling by the taxing district? Wondering if there are any legal issues with this.

@Anthony Wick thanks for your response! In my area, it's almost unheard of for a landlord to pay for utilities. Sometimes they will pay for water and trash. Great thought on advertising as "rent includes".

Thanks for your responses, @Thomas S. and @Shaun M.! 

My thought process is exactly what you mentioned, Shaun. I see how I can be a problem solver and turn it into a great opportunity. I've considered the costs of implementing one of these systems and have come up with what I'd be willing to pay for the property based on the numbers. 

Although I didn't mention this, the only reason I'm considering the property is because I think I could easily get a good ROI by being a problem solver through implementing one of these systems (even considering the costs), I believe the rents are currently below market (I haven't factored this into my analysis yet, though), and it would provide a great central location for my fiancée and myself in terms of work and school.

Additionally, I've recently found out that there are 2 meters for the property which would seem to make this easier considering I will be living in the third unit for probably 3 years.

I'm looking to house hack and I've found a triplex that I'm interested in but there's one problem: landlord-paid utilities. This includes electric, gas, sewer, trash, and water.

I've done some research on this the past couple of days and I've found some ideas, but I'm not sure if it's worth pursuing them or I should just give up on the idea and wait for a different property.

• Separate meters: From the research that I've done (a lot on BP forums), this seems to be way too expensive to consider.
• Submetering: This seems to be a viable option, but I have no idea how much the initial setup would cost or the how much the ongoing monitoring would cost. Does anyone have an idea of rule of thumb costs for this?
• RUBS (Ratio Utility Billing System): This seems to be an extremely contested topic on the forums. Some people think you're an unprofessional slumlord if you use this system. Some think it's completely fine to do. Obviously, this would be the cheapest system and I wouldn't mind the management side of it since the whole goal of house hacking is to save money.

I'd love feedback from anyone who has experience with this type of situation and any of the solutions above. Of course, any other comments and suggestions are welcome as well.

Thanks, BP!

I'm looking to house hack and I've found a triplex that I'm interested in but there's one problem: landlord-paid utilities. This includes electric, gas, sewer, trash, and water.

I've done some research on this the past couple of days and I've found some ideas, but I'm not sure if it's worth pursuing them or I should just give up on the idea and wait for a different property.

• Separate meters: From the research that I've done (a lot on BP forums), this seems to be way too expensive to consider.
• Submetering: This seems to be a viable option, but I have no idea how much the initial setup would cost or the how much the ongoing monitoring would cost. Does anyone have an idea of rule of thumb costs for this?
• RUBS (Ratio Utility Billing System): This seems to be an extremely contested topic on the forums. Some people think you're an unprofessional slumlord if you use this system. Some think it's completely fine to do. Obviously, this would be the cheapest system and I wouldn't mind the management side of it since the whole goal of house hacking is to save money. 

I'd love feedback from anyone who has experience with this type of situation and any of the solutions above. Of course, any other comments and suggestions are welcome as well.

Thanks, BP!

Thanks for your response, @Cassi Justiz!

Hey @Josh C., thanks for your response. I'd love to speak to you about neighborhoods in Indy and the surrounding area!

Thank you very much, @Dmitriy Fomichenko!