The new Suite Meter rules which went into effect in Ontario on January 1, 2011 provide an opportunity for landlords to install individual meters in rental 
units and have tenants pay for electricity directly from the utility.
These rules require landlords to disclose to prospective tenants certain information about previous electricity usage in the rental unit. This disclosure is made on the form Information to Prospective Tenants About Suite Meters or Meters which is available on the Landlord and Tenant Board website.
However, there has been some confusion regarding this tenant disclosure. For instance, landlords are required to disclosure information from the past twelve months, but the law has not been in effect for that long.
A minor change has been made to the wording on the Information to Prospective Tenant About Suite Meters or Meters form. The explanation as to what information the landlord must give to the tenant about the electricity usage in the rental unit has been clarified. The revised form is available at all Board offices and from the “Other Forms” page on the LTB website.
The landlord must provide the most recent information available to them about the electricity usage in the rental unit over the last 12 months. If the meter or suite meter was installed fewer than 12 months ago, then the landlord must provide the most recent information available about the electricity usage from the date the meter or suite meter was installed up to the date the tenancy is entered into.
For more information about Suite Meters, please see our post New Suite Meter Rules Begin January1: What That Means for Landlords.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.
