Do tenants want to rent with bills included?

A recent survey from Zero Deposit has revealed that the majority of renters have a preference for properties with utility bills included in the price of the rent, due to the convenience this offers them.

Following a survey of 2,400 tenants, Zero Deposit found that 55% would prefer to rent with bills included. Of those polled, 41% claimed that they experienced stress as a result of organising and paying for their utilities - a statistic that can only be exacerbated by the current high energy prices and cost of living crisis. 

Tenants cited the rising costs of utilities, the difficulty of managing their money, and the challenges of opening and closing accounts with utility providers as primary sources of their stress. The hassle of dealing with utility suppliers was also noted by renters.

Earlier in the year, Rightmove also found that 'bills included' had become the second most popular search term on its platform - up from fourth place last year. Sitting just behind searches for pet-friendly properties, the spike in searches for bills included highlights a dramatic change in tenant preferences.

As a property manager, it is the perfect time to capitalise on these changing preferences. Zero Deposit's research found that, currently, only 12% of the listings across England offer bills included. Why not make your listing stand out by offering bills included? 

When you use Concurrent, the end-to-end property management platform from StuRents, your tenants will be able to select a utilities package as part of the booking flow. You can now offer energy, water, and Wi-Fi within the cost of the rent without any additional administration. You can also now earn up to £75 + VAT per tenant by choosing one of our partners, The Bunch or The Student Energy Group, in your tenancy settings.

Want to find out more? Book a Concurrent demo today.

Still undecided? Explore the many benefits of offering a bills-inclusive rental agreement for property managers.