Can my landlord charge me for utilities in Alberta? Tenants' rules

Your lease decides who pays, says Service Alberta. If rent includes utilities, your landlord cannot start charging separately mid-tenancy unless you agree. A higher total paid to the landlord is a rent increase with notice rules. Separate sub-meter charges need consent or, for a fixed term, an expired lease and a new agreement.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Who pays the utilities: me or my landlord?

Your lease sets who pays the utilities: you or your landlord, says the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA). You may pay the power or gas firm, pay a share to your landlord, or have bills in rent. Check who holds the account before you sign or set up service.

Shared houses, suites and apartments can have different set-ups. Common area costs may fall to either side. Have the lease explain who pays them.

For an account in your name, see setting up utilities when you move. Owners can read utilities for rental and empty homes.

See choosing an energy plan as a renter if you arrange your own utilities.

Can my landlord start charging for utilities in the middle of my lease?

Your landlord cannot start charging for utilities in the middle of your lease if rent includes them, says Service Alberta. The same rule applies if the lease is silent and the landlord has always paid from rent. Both sides can agree to change this. Keep any new terms in writing.

Service Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act handbook allows a rent increase to cover higher utility costs, subject to rent rules. Rent cannot rise during a fixed term. Installing a sub-meter does not itself allow new charges. The Government of Alberta requires consent or the end of a fixed term, with a new lease.

Can my landlord raise my share of the utilities?

Your landlord can raise your share of the utilities only within the rules, says the Government of Alberta. A fixed utility amount needs both sides to agree to a change. A higher total paid to the landlord counts as a rent increase. Check the lease, notice and timing before you agree.

The Utilities Consumer Advocate says a fixed amount cannot change without agreement. If your lease sets a share of actual costs, ask for the bill and the agreed split. Check whether the proposed change is to the bill, your share, or a fixed charge.

For monthly tenancies, Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act requires at least three tenancy months of written notice for a rent increase. A longer agreed notice period must be met. Increases must be at least a year apart. The Government of Alberta also bars increases during a fixed term. A year must pass from the tenancy start or last increase, whichever is later.

Payments straight to a utility provider are not rent. A change in that provider’s bill differs from a new amount owed to your landlord.

What is a sub-meter, and can I see the formula?

A sub-meter tracks your unit’s gas and power use, and you can see the bill formula, says the Utilities Consumer Advocate. Ask for that formula in your contract. Check the fees as well as the energy cost. A sub-meter bill may come from your landlord or a separate firm.

A month-to-month tenant must consent to a sub-meter. For a fixed term, the Government of Alberta says it can be introduced when the lease ends and a new lease begins.

Service Alberta treats adding a sub-meter for an existing tenant as a rent increase. Rent can rise only once a year.

Service Alberta says sub-meter bills often add an administration fee to the utility cost. These fees can vary and rise. Tenants with sub-meters cannot choose their own retailer. Ask what the contract covers before you sign.

How should a shared bill be split?

Some landlords split a shared bill by the number of units in the building or the square metres in each rental unit. Service Alberta describes these examples in its sub-meter guide. The examples show what some landlords do when sharing energy costs.

Ask to see the original power and gas bills, the dates covered and the calculation of your share. Check how common areas are handled. Put the agreed method in writing so both sides can check it next month.

What can I do if we disagree?

If you disagree with your landlord, talk through the bill and lease first, says Service Alberta. Keep copies of the charges and your messages. If talks fail, the Government of Alberta says landlords and tenants can apply to its dispute service. The service can hear claims from either side.

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) lists these filing fees from April 2026. All amounts below are in Canadian dollars. Claim amounts exclude costs.

• Claims or counterclaims up to C$7,500 (from 1 April 2026) [source]: filing fee C$75 (from 1 April 2026) [source].
• Claims above that threshold: filing fee C$150 (from 1 April 2026) [source].
• Counterclaims above that threshold with an active application between the same parties: C$100 (from 1 April 2026) [source].

Fee waivers remain available for eligible applicants.

For a dispute about your sub-meter bill, contact the Consumer Contact Centre about the contract or tenancy agreement.

The UCA can explain how sub-meter bills are worked out. For a billing error, start with the provider and see how to raise an energy complaint.

The UCA also says a landlord who holds the account may seek unpaid costs through RTDRS if a tenant has not kept the payment agreement. Charges on an account in the tenant’s own name are not the landlord’s debt.

A bill check, free during our launch

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If you pay a share, ask the account holder for the actual bills. The bill check can help show what the home uses.

Send us your gas and electricity bills as PDFs. No PDF? Screenshots or a photo work too. We compare the plans at your address, free during our launch period.