What's happening
This bill requires utilities to provide prospective tenants with historical gas and electric billing info for rental units upon request, for a $5 fee.
Why it matters
Helps renters make informed decisions. By requiring utilities to provide historical billing data, the bill allows prospective tenants to better estimate future energy costs before signing a lease, potentially avoiding unexpected or unaffordable utility expenses.
Protects privacy. The law specifically prohibits utilities from sharing any personal information about current or previous tenants, ensuring that only address-specific billing averages are disclosed.
Limits misuse and access. Prospective tenants must provide personal identification and can only request data for up to five units per year, aiming to prevent abuse of the system and ensure requests are made for legitimate housing decisions.
Standardizes process and cost. The bill directs the Public Service Commission to establish clear procedures for accessing this information (including internet requests) and to set a uniform $5 fee, making the process predictable and accessible statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Disclose Utility Costs to Landlords
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2180
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 12, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ALCANTARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to making gas and electric billing information for residential rental premises available upon request
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-o to read as follows:
§ 66-o. Gas and electric billing information for residential rental premises. Every gas corporation, electric corporation and municipality shall make available to any landlord or lessor of residential rental premises, within ten days of receipt of a written or internet request therefor from any prospective tenant or lessee thereof, prior to the commencement of tenancy or execution of a lease, information consisting of the average monthly charges incurred at such premises for gas or electric service or both for the life of the dwelling unit or the preceding two year period, whichever is shorter. Prospective tenants or lessees shall provide their name, address, driver's license number or social security number or taxpayer identification number or non-driver ID card or any official documented or undocumented immigration identification, signature, and acknowledge that this billing information requested may only be used for the purpose of determining prior gas and electric usage as a factor in deciding to occupy the dwelling unit. Each prospective tenant or lessee is limited to a total of five requests in a calendar year within the state of New York. Such information shall be identified solely by the address of the dwelling unit, and no other information identifying the owner, lessee, or other occupant of the dwelling unit shall be utilized for, or made available in connection with, the furnishing of billing information pursuant to this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07265-01-7
S. 2180 2
Such information shall be furnished to both the landlord or lessor and to the prospective tenant or lessee with an imposition of a five dollar charge to the prospective tenant or lessee requesting the billing information payable to the gas corporation, electric corporation and municipality providing such information.
§ 2. The public service commission is directed to: (a) create a process whereby a prospective tenant or lessee may obtain by written request or by the internet to the gas corporation, electric corporation and municipality the average monthly electric and gas charges for the life of the dwelling unit or the preceding two year period, whichever is shorter, prior to the commencement of tenancy or execution of a lease while maintaining the privacy of the current tenant or lessor; (b) ensure the request is made only for the purpose of deciding whether to occupy a dwelling unit; and (c) determine the cost of providing the information by the utility and assess a fee to the prospective tenant or lessee requesting the information payable to the gas corporation, electric corporation and municipality providing the information.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided that the public service commission is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement this act on its effective date on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to making gas and electric billing information for residential rental premises available upon request
Purpose or general idea of bill
Requires gas and electric utility companies to make available to any landlord and lessor of residential rental premises, upon the request of a prospective tenant or lessor of a residential unit, information concerning gas and electric charges incurred from prior occupants of the dwelling.
Summary of specific provisions
The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-o to require gas and electric utilities to make available to persons upon request information concerning gas and electric charges incurred for residential premises.
Justification
People should have the right to inquire from a gas and electric company the amount of the bills being paid for heat and electric service by the prior customer before they move into a residence. They should not have to rely on a landlord or homeowner's word about how much it costs to heat a residence.
Prior legislative history
S1780(2015-2016): REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS S1736(2013-2014): REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS S1878(2011-2012): REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS S8087(2010): THIRD READING S8087 (2009) ORDERED TO RULES A.5049 (2007-08): Referred to Energy and Telecommunications A.9711 (2005-06): Referred to Rules A.4794 (2003-04): Referred to Corps A.1967 (2001-02): Passed Assembly
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law: provided that the public service commission is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement this act on its effective date on or before such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.