Senate unanimously clears bill to clarify ratio utility billing rules for older rental buildings

Senators moved a short bill to clarify how ratio utility billing systems (RUBS) interact with last year’s consumer pricing law. Sponsors said they intended to preserve transparent RUBS in older, master‑metered buildings while preventing landlords from adding markup fees for the privilege of paying a utility bill.

Senator Weissman, a Senate sponsor, said the bill is a targeted fix to House Bill 1090 and that it allows RUBS to continue where landlords comply with the statute’s factors: no markup, lease disclosure of the allocation formula, and reasonable accounting for common‑area usage. The Department of Law and tenant-advocacy groups participated in negotiations and supported the clarification.

The sponsors offered amendment L004 to require that new rental construction with permits applied for after July 2027 use direct metering or submeters. The committee adopted L004 without objection. The committee then voted to send House Bill 1013 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation by unanimous voice/roll call.

Proponents included the Colorado Apartment Association, which argued the measure restores industry certainty without undermining tenant protections. Tenant advocates and the Department of Law supported the bill’s clarifying language while urging continued safeguards for renters in master‑metered properties.

The bill was placed on the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation and is expected to return to the Senate floor for further action.