Utilities

Efficient Utility Management

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At Paragon Property Management, we understand the importance of seamless utility management for property owners. We offer comprehensive services to handle all aspects of your property's utility accounts, ensuring efficiency and peace of mind.

Utility Bills

We take the hassle out of utility bill payments by managing them directly from your property's operating funds. In most cases, we can register utility bills under our business name, allowing us to efficiently manage the accounts on your behalf. Larger building utility bills, such as water, trash, and building gas bills for properties with a common boiler, remain in the owner's name, but we can facilitate payments by having the bills mailed to our office.

For properties with boiler heating systems, we recommend enrolling in budget billing with the gas company. This spreads out the high winter costs evenly throughout the year, helping to stabilize your property's cash flow.

In Chicago, water bills for properties with 1-4 apartment units include city sewer and trash services and are billed every two months. For properties with 5 or more units, owners must contract directly with a trash removal service company. We can assist in arranging this service and can manage the contract on behalf of the owner for added convenience.

Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS)

For multi-unit property with common utility costs, we offer our owners the option for us to implement RUBS to pass these utility costs entirely to the tenants.  This is a unique service we offer that can help to significantly increase the net income on a multi-family property.  We divide the costs proportionally among the tenants based on apartment unit square footage. We can include utilities such as water, gas, and trash service.  Please refer to the separate RUBS information sheet for more details on this specific program.

Trash Removal

Trash removal services vary based on property size and location. For Chicago properties with 1-4 apartment units, trash removal is provided by the city and included in the water bill. Properties with 5 or more units must contract with a private trash removal company. We can facilitate this process, ensuring the selection of a reputable service provider. Additionally, we handle any excess trash issues promptly and communicate with tenants to prevent violations.

Recycling

Under the City of Chicago Workplace and Residential Recycling Ordinance, properties with 5 or more units must have a recycling program in place. We can arrange a contract with a reputable recycling service company, which can often be the same vendor as the trash removal service, to ensure compliance with local regulations and environmental responsibility.