The Regulatory Shift: The 2026 Utility Billing Compliance Guide
Key Takeaways
- We tracked over 30 bills across 18 states and D.C. in 2026. Some became law, several died, and a few are still moving.
- Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, North Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and D.C. now have laws on the books, some taking effect in 2026 and 2027. Compliance isn't optional if you operate there.
- Maryland now bars submetered water charges above what the water provider bills, plus a $1/unit monthly admin fee (from October 1, 2026). Ohio's submetering bill passed both chambers but was vetoed.
- Fee transparency, billing itemization, rate caps, and submetering oversight are the new baseline — not fringe ideas anymore.
- The cost of compliance is always lower than the cost of catching up — operators investing in transparent billing now spend less time reacting later.
We tracked over 30 bills across 18 states and the District of Columbia in 2026, all targeting some aspect of utility billing, fee transparency, or tenant protections in rental housing. It's the most significant wave of utility billing regulation in at least a decade.
This guide covers every bill, sorted by where it ended up: what's law, what's still moving, and what died.
This guide was first published in January and last updated in March, while most state sessions were still running. Most of those sessions have now ended, and every status below has been updated. Several bills that were advancing in March didn't become law.
Already Law
These provisions are enacted. If you operate in these places, compliance isn't optional. Check the effective date, because some don't apply yet.
Colorado HB 25-1090
Effective: January 1, 2026 What it does: Bans drip pricing. Requires landlords to advertise a single, all-inclusive rent amount. Utility charges can't exceed what the utility provider bills for the unit, except for the 2%-or-$10 markup Colorado has allowed since 2023 (HB23-1095). If a landlord doesn't refund and stop within 14 days of a tenant's written demand, it owes actual damages plus 18% interest, compounded annually. Source: leg.colorado.gov
Colorado HB26-1013
Effective: March 26, 2026 What it does: Expressly authorizes ratio utility billing (RUBS) if the total billed doesn't exceed the utility's charge for the whole property, no fees are added beyond actual charges, common-area costs are excluded, and the allocation method is disclosed in the lease. Properties whose permits are applied for on or after July 1, 2027 must be metered or submetered. Source: leg.colorado.gov
Connecticut Public Act 25-44
Effective: October 1, 2025 (rental provisions) What it does: Requires all periodic or recurring fees to be included in any rental advertisement. Violations carry civil penalties of one month's rent, and the court may award attorney's fees. Source: LegiScan
Maryland SB 130 / HB 220
Effective: October 1, 2026 (Chapters 261 and 262 of 2026) What it does: Authorizes water submetering with guardrails. Submetered water and sewer charges can't exceed what the water provider actually bills the property, and must be allocated by each unit's actual usage. Owners can't bill units for common-area usage, non-residential usage, or leaks and poor maintenance they're responsible for. An administrative fee of up to $1 per unit per month is allowed. Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov
North Dakota SB 2385
Effective: August 1, 2025 (signed April 2025) What it does: Requires direct water metering in mobile home parks. Establishes state receivership authority, annual ownership reporting, and tenant eviction protections. Source: ndlegis.gov
Virginia HB 374
Effective: July 1, 2026 (signed April 2026) What it does: Requires itemized charges on the first page of manufactured home lot rental agreements. Prohibits rent increases while code violations are unresolved. Source: lis.virginia.gov
Virginia SB 294
Effective: July 1, 2027 (signed April 2026) What it does: Requires landlords using submetering, energy allocation, or RUBS to keep detailed records of how charges are calculated, and to make them available to tenants. Source: lis.virginia.gov
Washington HB 1217
Effective: May 7, 2025 What it does: Caps rent increases at 7% + CPI or 10% (whichever is less). 5% cap for manufactured home lots. 90 days' notice required. Relevant to RUBS because advocacy groups argue RUBS circumvent these caps. Source: leg.wa.gov
D.C. Law 26-156 (B26-0126)
Effective: August 14, 2026. The common-area and vacant-unit utility charge ban applies from January 1, 2027. What it does: The Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act of 2026. Bars housing providers, and third parties they contract with, from separately charging tenants for common-area or vacant-unit utilities. RUBS allocation of master-metered charges remains allowed within the law's limits. Source: code.dccouncil.gov
Virginia operators: HB 374 took effect July 1, 2026. SB 294's record-keeping rules take effect July 1, 2027. Start building those records now, since you'll need history once the rule applies.
Still Moving
Pennsylvania HB 1250
Status: Passed House 144-59. In Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee. Dies November 30, 2026 if the Senate doesn't act. What it does: Ties manufactured home lot rent increases to CPI. Requires 90-day notice. Prohibits mid-lease increases. Guarantees resident association rights. Source: palegis.us
Massachusetts HB 3545
Status: In House Ways and Means. Formal sessions ended July 31, 2026, so it can only pass in informal session. What it does: Removes the July 1, 1997 date restriction on energy monitoring systems, allowing modern submetering technology in rental housing. Source: malegislature.gov
Massachusetts SB 984
Status: In Senate Ways and Means. Same informal-session limit as HB 3545. What it does: Regulates and limits junk fees in rental housing. Limits upfront charges. Addresses broker fee loopholes. Source: malegislature.gov
New Jersey A3403
Status: In Assembly Housing Committee. What it does: Caps recurring fee increases at 10% over any 12-month period for existing tenants.
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Talk to the TeamDidn't Pass This Year
Ohio HB 173
Status: Vetoed, June 2026. It passed the House 74-23 and the Senate as a substitute, and the House concurred. What it would have done: Placed submetering companies under PUCO oversight, capped rates at the standard service offer, and required registration, itemized bills, and a tenant complaint process. Source: legislature.ohio.gov
New York S4336
Status: Passed the Senate in May 2025, then died in the Assembly. It never reached the Governor. What it would have done: Required gas and electric utilities to provide average monthly billing history for a unit on request. Source: nysenate.gov
New York S363
Status: Passed the Senate twice (45-14 in June 2025, then 40-20 as S363B in May 2026). Stalled in the Assembly's consumer affairs committee. What it would have done: Junk Fee Prevention Act. Required total price disclosure inclusive of all mandatory fees. Source: nysenate.gov
Maryland HB 0080
Status: Passed the House 94-35, then died in Senate Judicial Proceedings when the session ended on April 13, 2026. What it would have done: Required landlords with four or more units to disclose all fees before lease signing. Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov
California SB 681
Status: Passed the Senate in June 2025, then stalled in the Assembly. It missed the August 31, 2026 deadline, so it's dead for the session. What it would have done: Would have capped non-rent fees at 5% of monthly rent and barred payment-processing and pet fees. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
New York S8735, S8915, and S9080
Status: Never left committee. The 2026 session ended in June. What they would have done: S8735, the Billing Transparency Act, would have required itemized breakdowns, accessible websites explaining charges, and quarterly reporting to the PSC. S8915 would have capped residential rate increases at 2.5% a year, created a Utility Accountability and Audit Unit, and barred recovery of executive bonuses through rates. S9080 would have barred utility shutoffs for elderly customers making good-faith payments of 5–15% of monthly income. Sources: S8735, S8915, S9080
Minnesota SF 3221
Status: Died in committee. The Legislature adjourned in May 2026. What it would have done: Required a 31-day minimum payment window for submetered and apportioned utility bills. Source: revisor.mn.gov
Virginia SB 349 and HB 1409
Status: Continued to the 2027 session. What they do: SB 349 restricts pre-tenancy fees, reduces the maximum security deposit to one month's rent, and requires upfront fee disclosure. HB 1409 prohibits charging tenants for landlord maintenance obligations and bars utility markups above actual cost. Sources: SB 349, HB 1409
California AB 1248
Status: Died on the inactive file, February 2, 2026. What it would have done: Required a single upfront rent amount. Prohibited RUBS except for water and sewer. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
Wisconsin AB 1143
Status: Died at session end, March 23, 2026. What it would have done: Required utility charge disclosure in leases and 14-day billing detail requests. Source: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
Also on the Radar
Seattle RUBS Ban
Status: No ordinance enacted as of this update. What's happening: The Renters' Commission urged a ban on RUBS in January 2026, and the Mayor surveyed renters with RUBS as a likely early target.
Texas Submetering Rules
Status: Existing rules remain in effect. What's happening: Texas submetering and allocation is governed by PUC rules under Chapter 24 (water) and §25.142 (electric). Watch the PUC for rule reviews that touch them.
Miami-Dade Re-metering Ordinance
Status: Existing law. Ongoing compliance. What it does: Property owners must register annually to resell water via submeters. Using a billing vendor does not transfer compliance responsibility. Source: miamidade.gov
Valencia Rios v. Belvedere NRDE, LLC (E.D. Va.)
Status: Class settlement granted final approval after an August 24, 2026 hearing. Judgment entered August 28, 2026. What it's about: A federal class action challenging mandatory pest control and community fees. Its outcome may shape how mandatory fees are structured in Virginia residential leases.
The Bottom Line
Not everything passed, and that's the point worth taking from this year. Ohio's submetering oversight was vetoed, New York's bills stalled, and Maryland's fee-disclosure bill died. But the bills that did pass all push the same way: Colorado's actual-cost rule and RUBS conditions, Maryland's actual-cost cap for submetered water, Virginia's record-keeping requirement, and D.C.'s common-area ban. Fee transparency, billing itemization, actual-cost pass-throughs, and submetering oversight aren't fringe ideas anymore. They're the new baseline.
Operators who invest in transparent, compliant utility billing platforms now will spend less time reacting to legislation later. The cost of compliance is always lower than the cost of catching up. If you're ready to get ahead of the regulatory curve, talk to the team about how VITALITY keeps operators compliant across every state they operate in.
This guide reflects legislative status as of October 19, 2026. Sources linked throughout. Statuses change. Check the state legislature's own site before relying on any of them.
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Read moreWritten by
Clayton Erekson
Chief Executive Officer
Co-founder of Vitality. On a mission to redefine the future of utility management.