What Does ‘Bills Included’ Mean When You Rent?
Finding the ideal property with bills included can be a challenging and lengthy task.
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Determining whether your rent is ‘all bills included‘ or is not can cause many headaches, especially, as you try to allocate and figure out your rental budget.
Some landlords list their property with a ‘bills included’ notice – what this means and what is included is what we’ll discuss in this article. So let’s dive in!
What does ‘bills included’ usually mean?
‘Bills included’ means that the rent will include expenses associated with the property’s amenities.
To be more specific, the main costs usually include:
- Heating
- Council tax
- Water
- Gas
- Electricity
- If specified, other aspects such as WiFi, TV license and more
You will often find that some property listings won’t include all of the bills in the rent, and usually be made up of solely electricity, gas and water.
Whether bills are included in the property listing is at the landlord’s discretion. Finding out whether this is the case can be as simple as reading through the property listing but, if unclear, then we recommend seeking clarification with the landlord.
Some landlords, who advertise a ‘bills included’ rent, may be flexible on the notice’s terms and conditions.
The pros and cons of ‘bills included’
As with most things, there are both positives and negatives to renting out a property with all bills included.
The cost of rent will seem inflated in comparison to listings that do not have bills included. If you believe that the mark-up on the rent charge is excessive or unjustified and you would pay less when managing your bills directly, then it may be in your best interest not to have all bills included.
Under certain circumstances, you will find that having all bills included in your rent can be beneficial.
- Firstly, it will simplify your budgeting, as you will have a fixed, foreseeable cost.
- Also importantly, having all bills included shifts the onus of responsibility onto your landlord. They will be responsible for staying on top of bill payments and keeping track of the charges received.
- It simplifies matters for you as a tenant, as you have fewer direct responsibilities.
Overall, renting with bills included comes down to whether you find it beneficial or not. Weigh up your pros and cons and always double-check the costs that will be covered by your payments, so that you can fully evaluate whether it’s worth it.
