High demand for student homes with bills included

Research by UniHomes, the UK’s leading student accommodation platform, has found that the majority of student tenants would like to see utility costs more widely included within the cost of student rental properties.

In fact, the research by UniHomes shows that 68% of students would be more likely to rent a property that includes utilities. Doing so is not only more convenient but also makes for a far more harmonious student household. The requirement for one person to take responsibility for utilities in their name, while chasing housemates for late payments can often be a friction point. By each student paying for their own share, it completely removes this potential tension.

Many are also willing to pay for this added convenience, with 64% of students surveyed by UniHomes also stating they would happily pay a rental premium if it meant utilities were included.

When asked which utilities they would ideally like to see included within the cost of renting a property, students ranked the basic living essentials with the greatest importance. Electricity (55%), Water (53%) and Gas (51%) scored high, as did Wifi (47%) which is arguably one of the most essential requirements for the modern-day student. In fact, previous research conducted by UniHomes discovered that 58% of students won’t rent a property with poor Wifi.

With the rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix, it’s unsurprising to see that just 25% of students would like to see a TV licence included within the cost of renting too.

Despite this demand for utility rental utopia, just 30% of students stated that their current rental property included utilities within the cost of renting. So are landlords and their letting agents, missing a trick - and if so, why?

Co-Founder of UniHomes, Phil Greaves, commented:

“It’s clear that including utilities within the overall cost of renting can considerably boost the appeal of a rental property. Not only is this greater convenience extremely sought after amongst student tenants, but the figures suggest that there is also a shortage of letting agents offering the additional service.

Of course, there is a reason for this, as organising multiple utility contracts and the ongoing management of the process is an extremely time consuming endeavour for landlords and letting agents. At UniHomes, we manage this process on behalf of our partner agents, with many agents finding this service invaluable, as it frees them up to concentrate on the important tasks at hand such as letting and managing properties, instead of getting bogged down on the phone to multiple service providers.”

Does your rent include utilities?
Answer	Respondents
No	70%
Yes	30%

Would you be more likely to rent a student house where utilities were included?
Answer	Respondents
Yes	68%
No	32%

Would you be happier to pay more in rent to include utilities?
Answer	Respondents
Yes	64%
No	36%

What would you ideally like to be included within a utility package? (Tick all that apply)
Answer	Respondents
Electric	55%
Water	53%
Gas	51%
Wifi	47%
TV Licence	25%