Tenants have to worry about a lot of things and paying bills is a major part of it. So if you are worried about the different bills you are supposed to pay as a tenant, letting agents in Berkhamsted have gathered all the required information and we will together look at all the bills that you must pay as a tenant.
Council tax
All tenants are responsible for the payment of the council tax which needs to be paid to the local council. The amount of money a tenant needs to pay in the form of council tax is determined by the valuation of the property, the property’s banding, and the local council. In case you have benefits to claim or belong to a lower income group, then the amount paid as council tax will be lesser. However, full-time students are mostly exempted from the payment of council tax.
Tenants who are living alone can also get a discount of 25% or if a tenant lives with children under 18 years of age, a certain discount is levied on the council tax. Tenants living in a rental property might be required to pay the electricity and gas bills. But there are certain cases in which the landlord receives your energy bill. If you are unsure about the recipient of the bill, then go back to your tenancy agreement and check it thoroughly. For tenants who are paying directly to the supplier, they have the right to find a cheaper option and change suppliers. There are many comparison websites which explain various deals on gas and electricity bills. These comparisons help in making easier decisions for tenants.
Water bill
In many cases, the landlord wraps up the water bill as a part of the rent, while in some cases the tenant is responsible for paying the water bill. Again, to avoid any confusion, you need to go back to your tenancy agreement. If a tenant is responsible for paying the water bill, then he or she needs to check which water company is a supplier in your area and choose accordingly.
Unfortunately, you cannot look for better deals when it comes to water suppliers since they are based on geographical area. There are two ways in which tenants can be charged for the water- by a standard tariff or by setting up a water meter. The good thing about a water meter is you only need to pay for the amount you are using.
Phone and broadband bill
Tenants are also responsible for paying the bill for broadband and the phone line. People mostly choose not to have a landline and just use mobile phones instead- this way you can save money on phone bills.
When it comes to broadband, you need to figure out what kind of internet speed you would like to subscribe to, and how much coverage is required. Based on these factors, you can look for deals as per your postcode.
For people living in a shared household, unlimited broadband packages may be a good option as they will remove any data limit and you won’t be charged for extra usage. You can also choose to bundle the broadband and TV and phone into a single package and reduce the amount of bill you would be paying for them separately.
TV Licence
Tenants need to pay for a TV Licence if they are to watch or record any live TV broadcasts that are telecasted on any channel. A TV licence is also required if a tenant wants to download and watch any BBC programmes on an iPlayer.
Content insurance
Content insurance includes gadgets, furniture, carpets, clothes curtains, etc and you need to organise the content cover as soon as you move in so that you know your property is protected. Thankfully, content insurances are cheap and there are many deals to shop around.
Service charges
Some tenants may be required to pay a certain amount of service charge for the sake of maintaining a garden etc. always check your tenancy agreements for understanding what you are responsible for.
To conclude,
Paying bills can be exhausting. But we hope as a tenant, you will now have a better idea of all the bills you need to pay!
