Cal. Civ. Code § 5
Disclosure of utility payments included in rent
Operative Text
Disclosure of utility payments included in rent.
(a) No landlord may demand payment for master metered public utility
services pursuant to a lease provision providing for tenant payment of a
proportionate share of public utility service without the landlord first
providing the tenant with a copy in writing either as part of the lease or
another written agreement of the formula used by the landlord for
allocating the public utility payments among the tenants. The total of
payments under the formula for the building as a whole for a billing
period may not exceed the sum demanded by the public utility. The formula
shall include all those that use that public utility service and may
reflect variations in apartment size or usage. The landlord shall also
make available to the tenant upon request a copy of the public utility bill
for any billing period for which payment is demanded. Nothing herein shall
preclude a landlord from leasing property to a tenant, including the cost
of utilities, for a rental which does not segregate or allocate the cost of
the utilities.
(b) No condominium or common interest community association may demand
payment for master metered public utility services from a unit owner of a
proportionate share for public utility service without the condominium or
common interest community association first providing the unit owner with a
copy in writing of the formula used by the association for allocating the
public utility payments among the unit owners. The total of payments under the
formula for the association as a whole for the annual budgeted billing period
may not exceed the sum demanded by the public utility, provided however, that
the board of directors of the association may direct that any payments received
by the association in excess of actual utility bills be applied to other
budgeted items having a deficit, or be applied to the association's reserve
fund, or be credited to the account of the unit owners for the following year's
budget. The formula shall include all those that use that public utility
service and may reflect, but is not limited to, percent interest, unit size, or
usage. The condominium or common interest community association shall also
make available to the unit owner upon request a copy of the public utility bill
for any billing period for which payment is demanded. A condominium
association shall have the right to establish and maintain a system of master
metering of public utility services pursuant to Section 18.4 of the Condominium
Property Act. A common interest community association shall have the right to
establish and maintain a system of master metering of public utility services
pursuant to Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act.
Footer
Disclaimer
This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster
ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies. Read About Cookies
ILGA.GOV
2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved | ADA
| Disclaimers | Learn
This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706. Contact ILGA Webmaster
ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies. Read About Cookies
ILGA.GOV
2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved | ADA
| Disclaimers | Learn
enableWordFriendlyCopy({
selector: '#copyable-content',
baseUrl: 'https://ilga.gov/'
});
(function () {
const BASE_WIDTH = 578;
const isDev =
location.hostname === 'localhost' ||
location.hostname === 'dev.ilga.gov';
const log = (...args) => {
if (isDev) {
console.log(...args);
}
};
function applyBillScale() {
log('--- applyBillScale called ---');
const host = document.querySelector('#billtextanchor .billtext-host');
const scaleEl = document.querySelector('#billtextanchor .billtext-scale');
log('host element:', host);
log('scaleEl element:', scaleEl);
if (!host || !scaleEl) {
log('Missing host or scaleEl, exiting');
return;
}
const available = window.innerWidth;
log('available viewport width:', available);
let scale = 1;
log('initial scale:', scale);
if (available = 850 (desktop)');
}
log('calculated scale:', scale);
scaleEl.style.transformOrigin = 'top left';
scaleEl.style.transform = `scale(${scale})`;
log('transform:', scaleEl.style.transform);
const calculatedWidth = BASE_WIDTH * scale;
scaleEl.style.width = `${calculatedWidth}px`;
log('calculated width:', calculatedWidth);
}
log('Bill scaling script loaded. isDev =', isDev);
window.addEventListener('orientationchange', () => {
log('orientationchange event fired');
applyBillScale();
});
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
log('DOMContentLoaded event fired');
applyBillScale();
});
})();
(function () {
var s = document.createElement('script');
var h = document.querySelector('head') || document.body;
s.src = 'https://acsbapp.com/apps/app/dist/js/app.js';
s.async = true;
s.onload = function () {
acsbJS.init({
statementLink: '',
footerHtml: '',
hideMobile: false,
hideTrigger: false,
disableBgProcess: false,
language: 'en',
position: 'left',
leadColor: '#070D0D',
triggerColor: '#03396c',
triggerRadius: '50%',
triggerPositionX: 'left', // Change from 'right' to 'left'
triggerPositionY: 'bottom',
triggerIcon: 'people',
triggerSize: 'medium',
triggerOffsetX: 20,
triggerOffsetY: 20,
mobile: {
triggerSize: 'small',
triggerPositionX: 'left', // Change from 'right' to 'left'
triggerPositionY: 'bottom',
triggerOffsetX: 10,
triggerOffsetY: 10,
triggerRadius: '50%'
}
});
};
h.appendChild(s);
})();
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
document.querySelectorAll('button[onclick]').forEach(button => {
// Extract the href from the inline onclick
const onclick = button.getAttribute('onclick');
const match = onclick.match(/location\.href\s*=\s*['"]([^'"]+)['"]/);
if (!match) return;
const url = match[1];
// Remove the inline onclick to prevent auto navigation
button.removeAttribute('onclick');
// Add our controlled event listener
button.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
if (e.ctrlKey || e.metaKey) {
window.open(url, '_blank');
} else {
window.location.href = url;
}
});
});
});Under 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 740, landlords who bill tenants for a proportionate share of master-metered utility costs must first provide a written explanation of the allocation formula — either in the lease or a separate written agreement — before collecting those charges. The total amount collected from all tenants for any billing period cannot exceed what the utility company actually billed the building. Tenants also have the right to request and receive a copy of the actual utility bill for any period in which payment is demanded. Section 740 contains parallel requirements for condominium and common interest community associations billing unit owners for shared utility costs.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 740 who pass through master-metered utility costs generally document the allocation formula in writing — as part of the lease or a separate written agreement — before collecting any utility charges from tenants. Compliant operators also ensure that the sum collected across all units for a given billing period does not exceed the utility company's actual bill for the building. Maintaining organized records of utility bills and making them available to tenants upon request is a standard practice for operators seeking to meet the disclosure requirements of Section 740.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 740, tenants who are charged a proportionate share of master-metered utility costs have the right to receive the allocation formula in writing before those charges can be lawfully demanded. Tenants also have the right to request a copy of the actual utility bill for any billing period for which payment is sought, and the total collected from all tenants cannot exceed the utility's actual charge. Tenants who believe these disclosure requirements have not been met may consider raising the issue with a local tenant-rights organization, consulting an attorney familiar with Illinois landlord-tenant law, or exploring whether a violation of Section 740 could serve as a defense in a payment dispute.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.