All bills included means your rent, gas, electricity, water and broadband are wrapped into one weekly price per person, with nothing extra to set up or split with housemates. In Stoke-on-Trent most student houses are priced per person per week (pppw), so a house shared by four people is quoted per person, not per property.
What all bills included should cover
A genuine all bills included price covers the things you would otherwise have to set up and pay for yourself:
- Gas and electricity for heating, hot water and power
- Water and sewerage
- Broadband wifi, already installed and working on move-in day
- Often the TV licence for shared areas, but always check
It does not normally cover your contents insurance or your own TV licence if you watch live TV in your room, so it is worth asking.
What about council tax?
Full time students are exempt from council tax, so in an all student house you should not pay it at all. If a council tax bill arrives, send your student certificate to the council and tell your landlord. If one housemate is not a full time student, the house can lose the full exemption, so check before you sign.
Why per person per week pricing is fairer
Per person per week pricing tells you exactly what you will pay, with no need to divide a monthly figure by the number of housemates and guess at the bills on top. A lot of letting agents quote per calendar month for the whole house, which hides the real cost. Transparent pppw pricing is how you compare houses honestly.
Questions to ask before you sign
Before you commit to a house, ask these:
- Is there a fair usage cap on energy, and what happens if the house goes over it
- Is the broadband already installed, and what speed is it
- Who do you call for a repair, and how quickly do they come
- Is my deposit protected in a government backed scheme
If a price looks too good, it is worth checking what is left out. You can see our honest pppw prices and what each one includes on our houses page.