Whether you’re a tenant or a landlord, it’s essential that you know who’s responsible for paying the household bills (such as gas, electricity and water). In this guide we explain which bills landlords are responsible for and how to tackle bill splitting. Keep reading to find out the following:
The landlord’s responsibilities can vary depending on the situation and what it states in the tenancy agreement.
The landlord’s liability depends on who has registered with the utility companies.
Some landlords register with the utility companies but combine rent and utilities in a single bill and have the tenants pay them directly. These properties are often advertised as ‘all bills included’. The tenant doesn’t have to pay bills directly to the utility companies.
If this is the case, the landlord:
If the tenant is registered with the utility companies
If the property doesn’t include bills in the rent, then the tenants will be responsible for paying all utility bills themselves.
In this case, the tenant:
If the tenants are registered with the utility companies, the landlord isn’t responsible for paying any unpaid utility bills or council tax. The landlord should:
What to do if there’s a bailiff at the tenants’ property?
If a previous tenant owes money, the new tenant may find they receive letters, and potentially have bailiffs arriving at their house. Do not let the bailiffs in. Instead, ask which business they are working for and have the landlord contact them directly.
The landlord may need to provide documentation to prove that they’re the landlord and the tenant has moved out. If the landlord has any information on where the previous tenant has moved to, let the company know so the problem can be resolved swiftly.
Do not let the bailiffs in.
Instead, ask which business they are working for and contact them directly. You may need to provide documentation to prove that you’re the landlord and the tenant has moved out. If you have any information on where your previous tenant has moved to, let the company know so the problem can be resolved swiftly.
Students are exempt from paying council tax, but they’ll need to get an exemption certificate from the council, which often involves providing proof of their student status from their university. As the landlord, you might be liable to pay the outstanding council tax if you can’t prove your property was occupied solely by students at a later date.
It is up to the landlord whether to have all bills included in the rent agreement. An all-inclusive rent agreement can include:
As the landlord, managing this can be a lot of work, and you’ll need to stay on top of payments and price changes. You’ll be solely responsible for payment of the bills and you’ll need to clearly state this in the tenancy agreement. You’ll also be responsible for any debt your tenant accrues—although you’ll be able to make a claim against the tenant’s deposit for any debt they haven’t paid.
A bill-splitting service, like Split The Bills, can take the hassle out of paying household bills for both tenants and landlords. They take responsibility for managing the bills. They have pre-agreed deals with service providers for all the major bills so you don’t have to look for the best deals yourself.
If you’re a landlord with multiple properties, services like Split The Bills will manage your entire portfolio of bills-inclusive properties, taking care of setting up services in the property and providing you with a consolidated bill each month. If you’d prefer to offer bills-inclusive to your tenants without the commitment, many services will also give you the option to refer your tenants directly to them and you can earn commission for doing so. Bill-splitting services makes it easier for both landlords and tenants:
For landlords:
For tenants:
Find out more about how Split The Bills works for students or learn more about the benefits of this service for landlords.