Hidden expenses: Londoners shoulder extra costs in all-inclusive rent bills
Londoners are unknowingly shouldering extra costs by opting for more convenient bills-inclusive rental arrangements, new data has found, as landlords seek to buffer spiralling energy prices.
The hidden cost of all-inclusive rent could be as much as £700 for those renting in the capital, according to London rental platform Rentd.
The average cost of renting a property without bills included sits at around £1,724 per month, while properties offering a bills-included option cost renters some 17 per cent more, at £2,023 on average.
And convenience appears to be popular, with Londoners snapping up just over a quarter of rentals in the city currently listed on the market as having bills included.
Demand for all-inclusive rents is strongest across Brent, Harrow, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich, the data found.
While Sutton, Kingston and Wandsworth has the fewest properties up for rent with bills-included in the final monthly price.
“With the capital already home to the highest cost of renting in the UK, the increasing cost of living will no doubt be on the mind of many London tenants,” founder and CEO of Rentd Ahmed Gamal explained.
“Those who are already particularly hard pressed may find that they can cut their household outgoings by quite a substantial sum, simply by spending a little time and effort taking care of their household bills themselves.”