A gross lease is a lease that includes any incidental charges incurred by a tenant. The additional charges rolled into a gross lease include property taxes, insurance, and utilities. Gross leases are commonly used for commercial properties, such as office buildings and retail spaces.
Full Service leases, most common in Class A office projects, will typically include taxes, insurance, CAMS, management, utilities and janitorial all in one base rental rate.
Ask the landlord what companies they're contracted with for utilities, ie do they use the city or a private company, what internet companies have lines to the building, ect. The easiest and cheapest thing to do is to ask them what's already hooked up and just use that.
Water: The landlord must provide you with enough water, with adequate pressure, to meet your ordinary needs. Under certain limited circumstances, you can be charged for water costs so long as it is clearly noted in your written rental agreement and there is a separate meter for your unit.
For renters, this generally means rental payments and basic utilities such as electric, water, and heating. Collectively, these expenses should total no more than 30% of a renter's gross monthly income. Gross income is what someone earns before taxes and other deductions are taken out.
The simplest way to determine if utilities when renting are included in monthly rental costs for your residence is to ask the landlord or property management company. Sometimes, the rent is a “package” that includes certain utilities or amenities.