Got contacted by tenant in small office building about their electric bill. But when I pulled the account, it's in landlord's name and covers common areas plus their suite. Tenant pays landlord directly. Who's my actual client here for billing errors?
Small office building - tenant vs landlord responsibility
Whoever has the contract with the utility is your client for billing purposes. But make sure you have clear authorization from the account holder (landlord) before proceeding. Tenant can't authorize an audit they don't legally control.
Had this exact situation last year. Landlord was billing tenant at cost-plus markup. Found $200/month in utility errors but landlord pocketed the refund. Make sure your fee agreement covers who gets what portion of any recoveries.