# What does 'utilities included' mean?

Canonical URL: https://www.evenoutapp.com/glossary/utilities-included
Updated: 2026-10-06

'Utilities included' means the landlord pays the providers for the services the lease lists, so you get no separate bills for them. The phrase does not tell you which services are on the list. Ask for the list by name, and remember that roommates only have something to split for the services that are not included.

Key points:
- 'Utilities included' means the landlord pays the services the lease lists. The phrase alone does not say which services those are.
- Check eight services by name: electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash and recycling, internet, cable or TV, and building heat or hot water.
- Only services that are not included reach your roommate split. Electric $87, gas $42 and internet $60 is $189, or $63.00 each for three.
- If the lease includes a cap, such as electricity up to $100 a month, the amount over it is a bill someone splits.

## What does "utilities included" mean in a rental listing?

It means the landlord pays the provider for the services the lease lists, so those do not reach you as a separate bill. A listing can use one of three wordings, and each one leaves a different list for you.

| Wording | Who pays the provider | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| All utilities included | The landlord, for every service the lease names | The named list, since "all" does not say if internet or cable is on it |
| Some utilities included | The landlord for the listed ones, you for the rest | Which ones are listed, and any cap |
| Utilities not included | You and your roommates, for every service | Which accounts to open and whose name each one goes in |

Read your own lease for the exact wording. A listing is a summary, and the lease says which services are covered.

## What should you ask for in writing?

Ask for the list of covered services by name, and check that the lease says the same thing as the listing. Go down these eight and mark each one as included, you pay, or not supplied:

1. Electricity
2. Gas
3. Water
4. Sewer
5. Trash and recycling
6. Internet
7. Cable or TV
8. Heat or hot water supplied by the building

Then ask whether any service has a cap or allowance, and who pays the amount over it.

## How does it change a roommate split?

You only split the services that are not included. Say three roommates rent a place where the lease includes water, sewer and trash. They pay the electricity, gas and internet themselves.

- Electricity is $87.00, gas is $42.00 and internet is $60.00 this month.
- The three bills total $189.00, which is $63.00 each when split equally.
- The three included services create no bills, so there is nothing to track for them.

Had the lease left out water and sewer, a $36.00 water and sewer bill would join the list. The total would be $225.00, or $75.00 each. In this example the wording in the lease moves each person's month by $12.00, which is why it is worth reading before you sign. A roommate who joins mid-month is a separate question for rent, covered in [what prorated rent is](https://www.evenoutapp.com/glossary/prorated-rent).

In EvenOut, make a group of the type "Household" ("Rent and bills") and add each bill as an expense paid by whoever paid it. An internet bill with the same amount every month can use "Repeat" and "Monthly", and EvenOut adds it each month. Electricity and gas change, so add those by hand. For the methods that suit each bill, see [how to split utilities between roommates](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-split-utilities-between-roommates), and [how to split an electric bill with roommates](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-split-electric-bill-with-roommates) for the bill that changes every month. Utilities are one line in a longer list of [move-in costs for roommates](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/apartment-move-in-costs-for-roommates).

## Frequently asked questions

### Are internet and cable included when the listing says all utilities?

The word 'all' does not say. Treat internet and cable as separate items until the lease names them, and ask for a yes or no on each. If they are excluded, add them to the bills the roommates split.

### How do you handle a cap on an included utility?

Read what the lease says about the amount over the cap. Say it includes electricity up to $100 a month and a bill is $127.00. If the lease puts the extra $27.00 on the tenants, three roommates owe $9.00 each.

### Does a roommate who moves in mid-month change the utility split?

Included services have no bill, so nothing changes for them. For the services you pay, agree a rule before the bill arrives: equal shares, or days present, where someone there 10 of 30 days counts for one third of a full share.