Energy Efficiency Codes

Minnesota is the only state to expressly require that the landlord take reasonable energy efficiency measures and defines reasonable as an investment that has a ten-year payback. New Mexico has an unusual provision requiring landlords to give tenant’s in multi-family housing with separate meters for each unit a copy of the utility bill plus any assigned share of the bill for the common area.

Minnesota

504B.161. Covenants of landlord or licensor

Subdivision 1. Requirements.

(a) In every lease or license of residential premises, the landlord or licensor covenants:

(3) to make the premises reasonably energy efficient by installing weatherstripping, caulking, storm windows, and storm doors when any such measure will result in energy procurement cost savings, based on current and projected average residential energy costs in Minnesota, that will exceed the cost of implementing that measure, including interest, amortized over the ten-year period following the incurring of the cost; and

New Mexico

47-8-20. Obligations of owner

F. In multi-unit housing, if there is separate utility metering for each unit, the resident shall receive a copy of the utility bill for his unit upon request made to the owner or his agent. If the unit is submetered, the resident shall then be entitled to receive a copy of the apartment's utility bill. When utility bills for common areas are separately apportioned between units and the costs are passed on to the residents of each unit, each resident may, upon request, receive a copy of all utility bills being apportioned. The calculations used as the basis for apportioning the cost of utilities for common areas and submetered apartments shall be made available to any resident upon request. The portion of the common area cost that would be allocated to an empty unit if it were occupied shall not be allocated to the remaining residents. It is solely the owner's responsibility to supply the items and information in this subsection to the resident upon request. The owner may charge an administrative fee not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) for each monthly request of the items in this subsection.

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