Common areas (multi-family)
On multi-family homes (3-family, 4-family) with sizeable hallways or common spaces, you should offer a common-area unit. It’s not required for decommissioning — but skipping the offer leads to callbacks.
The rule
Section titled “The rule”- Not required for decommissioning. Common areas don’t factor into the meter-based rebate calculation.
- Strongly recommended to offer to the homeowner anyway.
Why offer it
Section titled “Why offer it”Tenants will complain about freezing hallways once the existing heat is gone. We have had to go back and add common-area units after the fact because tenants escalated.
“The moment they leave the unit, it feels like a freezer.”
A common-area unit prevents this entirely.
How it gets billed
Section titled “How it gets billed”- Goes onto the PLP / common-area bill (the building owner’s account, not a tenant)
- Treated as a separate unit on the order
How to position to the homeowner
Section titled “How to position to the homeowner”Frame as a courtesy / best practice, not a requirement:
“For best practice, would you like a unit here to heat up the hallway / common area? It would go on the common-area bill, and it’s totally up to you. I just want to flag the option so tenants don’t complain about a cold hallway.”
Most homeowners will say no — and that’s fine. But some will say yes. Either way, you offered it.
Pitfalls
Section titled “Pitfalls”Not offering a common-area unit on multi-family homes. When tenants complain post-install, we have to go back and add the unit. Always make the offer at the sales appointment.