(a) Rents shall be the same as those paid to previous owners. Verification of such rents can be made by checking rent receipts, cancelled checks, and obtaining information from previous landlord. If previous rents are considered inequitable, either to tenant or to authority (as may occur when tenant is a relative of previous landlord), or if there was no previous rent established, as in the case of owner-occupied home, the authority shall establish equitable rents subject to division approval.

(b) Rents should not include utilities such as heat, gas and electricity, unless conditions such as a central heating system or a single meter necessitate their inclusion.