When moving to a new apartment, it is essential that renters ask the right questions to ensure that they are getting the best deal they can for their money, especially when it comes to utilities.
Often apartments will include select utilities such as trash, water and gas into the rent offering. However, renters should never assume that these costs are included. More and more landlords have begun drawing in tenants with lower rent prices. The catch is that the tenant is responsible for all additional utility expenses on their own, which could end up costing the tenant more than their budget allows.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are also landlords that are covering not only the basic utilities, but also some recreational expenses as well, including cable, internet and even free gym access in the building.
These full service apartment buildings take the stress out of bill payment by combining all major apartment expenses into one lump sum. However, these rents do tend to be higher than other building, and renters should do the math to ensure that they are not being over-charged for these amenities.
At the end of the day each tenant must choose the apartment that is best for them whether or not the utilities are included. Here are a few tricks, though, to make sure that you are finding the cheapest utility costs possible.
- When touring an apartment ask which utilities (if any) are included in the rent.
- Speak with a few of the building’s tenants and ask them their average monthly utility costs to get a feel for how much additional cash would be spent on these expenses.
- Ask the landlord for any building sponsored deals on additional utilities, such as discounts on cable or Internet packages.
- When setting up utilities call the companies and request a prorated rate to help avoid big fluctuations during the winter and summer months.
- Ask the utility companies about any deals or promotions they may have going on for new customers or about loyalty programs available for existing customers.
When choosing an apartment, tenants should practice caution to avoid delving into their savings to cover unexpected costs. What other tricks have you used to lower the cost of your utilities?
