I own a rental house used by students. They pay rent plus utilities. I pay the utilities and collect from them. On my taxes, I've been accounting for everything they pay me as income and then I expense what I paid for the utilities. Is this okay or should I just be counting the rent only as income and not deducting the utilities? Or, is this a "six of one, half a dozen of the other" situation?
Thanks.

Consider the rent plus utilities ALL as income (rent collected), then deduct the utilities you pad.

That is the correct way to account for everything.