For many students starting at university, it will be the first time they’ve lived away from home and needed to manage a budget. All-inclusive student accommodation can help make this simpler, though, so here’s a quick guide to what to expect.
What is all-inclusive student accommodation?
With all-inclusive student accommodation, utility bills are typically included in the fixed monthly rent. While this may mean that the rent is higher than with other accommodation, you won’t have to fork out for any of the usual monthly bills. It will also stay the same regardless of how much water or energy you use, although landlords and letting agencies may specify a fair usage allowance to discourage wasteful behaviour.
All-inclusive student accommodation is aimed at making student living as simple as possible, so it may also include devices that may not be present in other forms of accommodation. For example, there may be a decent-sized television in the communal lounge, so you can all watch series or movies together. There will also likely be a washing machine and maybe a tumble dryer, so you don’t need to mess around going to laundrettes or spending extra on hiring a machine.
It also saves the hassle of needing to have bills transferred into someone’s name when you move in and then transferring them away again when you move out, because they will always be in the letting agent or property owner’s name.
What is non-inclusive student accommodation?
With non-inclusive student accommodation, the tenants assume responsibility for all the bills. This makes budgeting harder because you can’t necessarily predict how much water or energy you will use in any given month. This can be particularly problematic in shared student housing, because every resident will need to cough up their share of the bills. It can also cause disharmony in a student household if one person is perceived as using the utilities excessively and driving up the bills for everyone else.
What’s more, while non-inclusive student accommodation is typically furnished, it may or may not have certain desirable devices. For example, if it lacks a washing machine and dryer, you may have to rent them instead or use a local laundrette, but it’s going to cost you more either way. You may also want to share a big television in the communal room.
Seeing as you will be collectively responsible for the various bills, you’ll need to nominate someone to have each bill in their name. This means getting on the phone to the water and energy companies complete with accurate meter readings to ensure that you won’t be paying for past usage. What’s more, you need to do the same process in reverse when you move out. On the bright side, you’ll only pay for what you use, so if you and your housemates can be fairly disciplined in how much water and energy you use, you may actually save some money.
What are the benefits of all-inclusive bills?
When you have shared student housing in Chester with bills included, it makes it much easier to budget. You’ll know what most of your basic living expenses will cost, so all you need to do is work out how much you can spend on food, study expenses and leisure activities. There will also be no arguments about who uses how much energy or water. What’s more, because everyone is paying for the bills through their rent to the landlord or letting agency, it doesn’t fall to one person to deal with each bill and then collect everyone’s share of the payment. All of this results in a happier, more harmonious household, so everyone can focus on studying and otherwise making the most of their time in Chester.
What utilities are covered with Bed Student Rentals?
When students rent accommodation near Chester university through Bed Student Rentals, the water, gas, and electricity bills are included in the rent where applicable. What’s more, with internet access being pretty much a necessity these days, we also include WiFi in the rent. Our properties also typically come with a communal television, washing machine and tumble dryer, so you really don’t have much else to worry about.
Going to university is about having the mental space to study diligently while also having fun in your spare time, so don’t make things more complicated than they need to be. Bills-included student accommodation in Chester is a great solution to the particular issues that can arise when students share a property, so look around for what’s available.
Written by Mark
