Georgia Utility Shutoff & Multifamily Tenant Notice Rules

Electric service: five-day multifamily notice

Georgia Rule 515-3-2-.05 requires the utility to provide written notice at least five days before proposed electric disconnection to tenants of a multifamily dwelling where the landlord or lessor is responsible for utility payment. The rule calls for personal service on at least one adult in each unit or conspicuous posting when personal service cannot be made.

The same rule also says the utility must accept tenant payments as the tenant’s portion of past-due amounts and issue receipts showing the payment will be credited to the landlord’s account.

Natural gas: identify who is disconnecting

Georgia’s gas rules split the multifamily notice path. Under Rule 515-3-3-.05(A), a local distribution company gives at least five days’ notice. Under Rule 515-3-3-.05(B), an electing distribution company or marketer with billing responsibility gives at least fifteen days’ notice. Do not assume the electric five-day rule automatically answers a gas shutoff question.

Disputed utility bill versus landlord master-account problem

A resident can face two different disputes. One is a direct regulated-utility bill that the customer disputes with the utility/marketer and potentially the Georgia PSC. The other is a building-level landlord account facing disconnection while tenants are not the customer of record. Save the account holder, notice, service type and charging entity before choosing a dispute path.

Estimated natural-gas bills have separate shutoff limits

Current Georgia PSC gas guidance states that service cannot be disconnected for an unpaid estimated bill unless the consumer has been given time to pay equal to the period during which the bill was estimated, and it identifies additional limitations for older estimated consumption. This is relevant to a direct gas account; it does not convert a landlord RUBS or third-party allocation into a regulated marketer bill.

What to collect first

• Lease and utility addendum showing who is responsible for electric and gas.
• Shutoff notice or posted building notice, including the date it appeared.
• Name of the electric utility, gas LDC, marketer or EDC.
• Account holder/customer of record if known.
• Current and prior statements if the dispute is about the bill amount.
• Receipts for any tenant payment credited to the landlord master account.
• Emails or support records from the property and utility.

Official sources