Renting a property can be confusing at times when trying to understand who is responsible for what. Who is responsible for repairs? The garden? Insurance? One of the more confusing aspects of being a tenant can be understanding who is responsible for paying which bill. There are so many different bills that need to be paid and different landlords can take a different approach. In this guide we will take a look at the most common bills and try to shed some light on who is responsible for them.
Check your contract
The first and possibly only place to get the real picture as to what bills you as a tenant need to pay, will be in your tenancy agreement. This should state very clearly exactly which bills you are responsible for. Make sure to read your agreement carefully and also ask your landlord or agent if you have any questions to gain clarity. Make sure to get anything that is unclear confirmed in writing.
Looking at some of the more common bills:
- Council Tax – In most cases the tenant will be responsible for the council tax on the property.
- Gas, electric and water – Very much the same applies as for council tax. For a standard tenancy it is most likely the tenant who will register with the utility and water companies and pay the bill directly.
- Phone, TV packages and Wifi – The payment of the telephone line, broadband and TV packages will be purely down to you as the tenant. If you want satellite TV and there is no dish on the property, please remember to ask your landlord for permission to get one installed before doing so.
- TV Licence – As the viewer of the TV programs, the tenant is responsible for paying the TV licence bill every year or in instalments. If you had a TV licence at your previous property this will transfer with you when you move.
- Insurance – This is rather more complex. The landlord will pay for buildings insurance because they own the property. If the property is furnished then it is likely that the landlord will have their own contents insurance. Whether the property is furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished you as tenant will need to also pay for contents insurance to protect your own goods. You can take out a specific tenant’s insurance policy that will protect you and your belongings and your tenants content insurance will also insure you against damage to the landlord’s property, check your policy for details. When arranging contents insurance, do try to make sure that you accurately cost all your belongings for their replacement value, as most people tend to undervalue their possessions. If the worst happens you will not want to be uninsured.
- Service Charges – Another grey area, service charges are most common in flats or apartments as they have communal areas. Service charges pay for the upkeep of areas such as communal gardens, halls and stairs. Check your tenancy agreement to see if the responsibility for paying this rests with you the tenant or with the landlord.
There is no doubt bills in a rented property can be confusing. The information we have shared in this article, should only be used as a guide as every tenancy is slightly different. To be absolutely sure what bills are your responsibility, carefully check through your tenancy agreement and if it is not clear, don’t be afraid to ask.
