Can all the gas meters for a 3 family home be located inside of a tenants apartment, I live in CT.

Question

I have been trying for over a month now to get my previous landlord to allow acess to our old meter to have the service stopped. he has not been compliant. The meters are located in his basement tenants apartment. He has not made it a point to be home when the gas company comes even with ample notice. The tenants in the apt the meters are located have not stayed home during the time frame in which the gas companies says they will be there. We have now asked him to call and have the service switched in his name he has not done that either. We have been told by teh gas company to now take legal action. That is our last resort. Now we have heard that you have to make your meters accesssible at all times so gas techs can get to it. i.e. not leaving clutter or anything in teh way that would prevent a tech from getting to it. Now with them being in the tenants apt, isnt that considered making it non accessible?

Answer 1

Not just accessability, Emergency in the case of a leak, or other disaster. Go out there and rip into him.  

Answer 2

I work for a gas company in CA.  Yes, the owner must make the gas meters accessible at all times.  Inside one of the tenants apts is not a good location. Have they always been inaccessible like this? If so, then they would probably be able to say there, he would just have to make sure we could get to them.  If he had done something recently that caused them to be inaccesible, he should be required to have them relocated at his expense.  Even if we didn't get to the meter for more than a month after you moved, you would only be "billed as of" the date the meter was originally scheduled to be closed.  It doesn't sound to me like the gas company is doing everything it could to assist. You don't own the property, it's not your responsilibity. Do you have a utilities commission in CT? If so, I'd file a complaint there.