When looking at student accommodation in Sheffield it’s very important for budgeting purposes to look at all the costs involved, including utilities. To help you, we’ve listed below a few of the differences between ‘rent-only’ student accommodation packages and ‘all-inclusive’ packages.

What Is A ‘Rent-Only’ Package?

As the name suggests, you ONLY pay your landlord the rent, all other costs such as electricity, gas and water are your responsibility. Some landlords also charge extra for broadband so watch out for that one as you’ll be using the internet a lot whilst at Uni.

The advantage of a rent-only package is that you can shop around and find the cheapest rates from utility suppliers as you’re in total control. This could work in your favour financially depending on whether the property you’re moving into is stand alone or shared.

The disadvantages are that you may not want, or have the time, to shop around. You may also have to manage splitting the payments which could be tricky depending again on the accommodation configuration. You may also have the hassle of making sure everyone makes their payments.

What Is An ‘All-Inclusive’ Package?

The opposite of rent-only, all-inclusive packages normally include electricity, gas, water, and broadband.

The advantages of all-inclusive packages are that you know exactly what your outgoings are, you have no hassle liaising with utility companies and no 12- or 18-month contracts that some suppliers require.

You also don’t have to worry about your house mates keeping up their payments as their bills are not your responsibility.

The disadvantage is that you can’t control who your supplier is as contracts will normally already be in place.

Which package to opt for will be down to your own individual circumstances, but it goes without saying that you should choose a student letting agency that offers BOTH options. At Sheffield Student Property we do exactly that, giving you the freedom both rent-only and all-inclusive packages.

What’s more, irrespective of the package you choose, we include unlimited broadband in all our properties so that’s one less bill to worry about.

Give us a call on 0114-2666-300 to discuss your student accommodation requirements, we’ll be happy to help.