By James Lockett

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%

Survey of 1,001 UK students carried out by UniHomes (7th April 2021).

ENDS

Notes to Editors

●        Survey carried out via consumer research platform Find Out Now

●        By 2021, UniHomes will be operating in over 40 cities across the UK, with 23% of the total student accommodation sector using their online platform.

●        The UniHomes founders are Phil Greaves, Bradley Cox and Luca Mori.

●        UniHomes promotes thousands of student properties and provides them on a ‘bills inclusive’ basis in a transparent and fair way.

●        UniHomes work alongside letting agents in 28 UK cities, advertising their property portfolios to generate student enquiries.

●        The founders were landlords and property professionals themselves, as well as being students so they understood both sides of the market.

●        Split The Bills was  a strategic acquisition by UniHomes. They’re of one of the largest student utility companies, who are a well-respected brand within the student community. 

●        Following the acquisition, the combined business will have a 50 strong team to assist with UniHomes’ next stage of growth.

●        UniHomes has increased its partnered letting agents by 75% this year.

●        UniHomes revenues and customers have increased by 60% year on year, an incredibly impressive rate of growth considering they have been operational for just five years.

●        The combined businesses have over 5,500 reviews on Google and Trustpilot rated “Excellent”.