City of Olympia, WA

03/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/16/2026 09:19

03/16/2026 - Clarifying Utility Billing Practices for Olympia Housing Rental Tenants

Rental Housing Code Utility Billing Guidance

Olympia Housing Program staff have recently received questions from tenants about how utility charges are calculated when a landlord uses a Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS). RUBS is used when units are not individually metered and tenants are not billed directly for their own usage, but rather allocated based on a tenant's portion of the property's utility charges.

Some tenants have shared concerns about possible retaliation if they ask their landlord for more information about how their utility charges are determined. In an effort to increase transparency and help tenants budget for utility costs, the City is providing guidance and recommended steps for landlords who use RUBS. This information is intended to support compliance with the Olympia Rental Code, which allows landlords to charge tenant's for utilities or utility-related charges, as long as the landlord provides a clear accounting or methodology for utility charges if not based on individual tenant usage. (OMC 5.82.060(A)(4)).

The guidance is available on the City's Landlord Information webpage and staff will continue to update it to offer further clarification or respond to new questions, as they arise.
Contact
Christa Lenssen, Sr. Housing Program Specialist
Community Planning & Economic Development
360.570.3762
[email protected]
City of Olympia, WA published this content on March 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 16, 2026 at 15:19 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]