What should you ask about bills when viewing a student house?
Short answer
Ask what the rent includes and any fair usage cap, whose name goes on each account, the EPC rating, whether broadband and a mobile signal reach the address, whether everyone will be a full-time student for council tax, and what meters the house has. Each answer changes what you will pay.
Updated
E
Lowest EPC rating most private landlords in England and Wales can let a home at
£0
Council tax when everyone in the house is a full-time student
1 licence
Covers a house on one joint tenancy; separate tenancies need one each
A viewing is the chance to check more than damp, furniture and the walk to campus. The bills are where a house that looks cheap can cost more: an inclusive rent with a low usage cap, a poor energy rating, no working broadband line, or a housemate who will not be a student. Take this checklist to the viewing. Every question links to the guide that answers it.
The bills checklist for a student house viewing
| Ask | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| What does the rent include? | In England, included bills must be listed in the tenancy and reflect actual costs. While the landlord pays the supplier, you cannot switch the tariff. | A written list of included bills, and whether council tax and the TV Licence are on it. |
| Is there a fair usage cap? | Above the cap you pay extra, so the cap decides how fixed the rent really is. | The allowance, the period it covers, how usage is measured and the price above it. |
| Whose name goes on each account? | The person named on a bill is usually responsible for paying it. | Who will hold energy, water and broadband, agreed before anyone signs. |
| What is the EPC rating? | The certificate shows the home's typical energy costs. Most private lets in England and Wales need at least an E. | The rating and typical costs on GOV.UK's register, or on the certificate itself. |
| Can the house get broadband? | Not every network reaches every address, and the contract holder pays the bill. | The networks Ofcom's checker shows for the postcode, and whether there is a working line. |
| Is there a mobile signal? | Coverage differs by network. | Your network's coverage at the postcode on Ofcom's checker. |
| Will everyone be a full-time student? | One adult who is not a full-time student means the house gets a council tax bill. | Who will be studying full time for the whole tenancy. |
| Is it one tenancy or one each? | With separate tenancies, anyone who watches TV in their own room needs their own licence. One joint tenancy needs one. | Whether you will all sign one joint agreement or one agreement each. |
| What meters are there? | A prepayment meter can collect the last tenants' debt if you top up too soon. | Prepayment, smart or standard meters for gas and electricity, and a water meter. |
| Is a package cheaper than paying direct? | The price cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not the house's total bill. | The package price against official averages for the same bills. |
What does the rent include, and is there a usage cap?
There is no standard bundle. The tenancy agreement is the list.
- In England, GOV.UK says gas, electricity, water, broadband and a landline can be included in the rent. Any included bills must be listed as terms in your tenancy agreement and must reflect the actual costs.
- Council tax and a TV Licence can be part of the rent where the tenancy says so. If they are not, GOV.UK says the landlord cannot make you pay a separate charge to them for either.
- Ask for any fair usage cap in writing: the allowance, the period it covers, how usage is measured and what you pay above it.
- Where a landlord resells gas or electricity, Ofgem says the most they can charge is the price they paid, including standing charges.
- While your landlord pays the energy supplier, Citizens Advice says you cannot switch supplier or tariff yourself.
Sources: GOV.UK: Tenant Fees Act 2019, guidance for tenants (England, updated 7 July 2026) (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: the resale of gas and electricity, maximum resale price guidance (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching energy supplier if you're a tenant (read 15 October 2026)
Whose name will go on each account?
Decide before you sign, because the named person carries the bill.
- Shelter says the person or people named on a bill are usually responsible for paying it.
- Your landlord must give you the details of any bills you pay through them in writing before you agree to the tenancy, Shelter says.
- When you move out, Shelter says to take your name off every bill, and that an energy company can usually charge you for up to 2 days after you tell it you are leaving.
- Spread the accounts between housemates, or agree a written split, so one person is not carrying every bill.
Sources: Shelter England: bills in a shared house (updated 1 May 2026) (read 15 October 2026)
What is the EPC rating, and why does it matter for bills?
Two houses at the same rent can cost very different amounts to heat. The certificate shows which.
- An Energy Performance Certificate rates a home from A (best) to G (worst) and sets out its typical energy costs and ways to improve it, GOV.UK says. It is valid for 10 years.
- The landlord or letting agent must show you the EPC if you are renting, GOV.UK says.
- You can look up a certificate by postcode on GOV.UK's find an energy certificate service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own service, and there the EPC must be displayed in the property, for example in the meter cupboard or next to the boiler.
- In England and Wales, landlords have not been allowed to let homes rated below E since 1 April 2020, unless they have a valid exemption, GOV.UK says.
- Compare the typical energy costs on each house's certificate before you choose.
Sources: GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: find an energy certificate (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented homes (England and Wales, updated 5 May 2026) (read 15 October 2026)
Can the house get broadband and a mobile signal?
Check the postcode before the viewing, then ask what is already installed.
- Ofcom's checker shows which broadband services (standard, superfast and ultrafast) reach a postcode, and mobile coverage by provider.
- Ofcom says the checker uses Ordnance Survey address data updated twice a year, so a new or converted address may not appear yet, and some smaller networks are not included.
- Ask whether the house has a working line or a fibre socket, and who held the last contract.
- Ofcom says providers must offer a contract of no longer than 12 months for each service, and some offer rolling contracts you can cancel month to month.
Sources: Ofcom: broadband and mobile coverage checker (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: about the broadband and mobile checker (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: checklist for a new phone or broadband contract (updated 26 June 2026) (read 15 October 2026)
Will the house have to pay council tax?
Not if everyone is a full-time student. One adult who is not changes the answer.
- GOV.UK says households where everyone is a full-time student do not pay council tax, and that you will get a bill if someone in the household is not a full-time student.
- If that person is the only adult counted, GOV.UK gives 25% off.
- Shelter says landlords are usually responsible for council tax in a shared house, and to contact your council tax team if you get a bill in your name. Ask the landlord who will pay it.
- Check who will still be a full-time student for the whole tenancy. UKCISA says you stop counting as a student when your course ends.
- Scotland follows the same rule, mygov.scot says. Northern Ireland has rates instead, and nidirect says the landlord pays them on a house in multiple occupation.
Sources: GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax, who has to pay (read 15 October 2026); Shelter England: bills in a shared house (updated 1 May 2026) (read 15 October 2026); UKCISA: Council Tax for international students (updated 28 January 2026) (read 15 October 2026); mygov.scot: Council Tax discounts, exemptions and reductions (read 15 October 2026); nidirect: rates on rental properties (read 15 October 2026)
What meters does the house have?
The meter decides how you pay, and whether you inherit anything.
- Look for a prepayment meter. Citizens Advice says to contact the supplier straight away when you move into a home with one, and not to top up until you have, or you risk paying the last occupants' debts.
- If you pay the supplier directly, Citizens Advice says you can switch supplier or tariff, including on a prepayment meter, but your tenancy may say the account must go back to the original supplier when you leave.
- Your supplier will ask you to pass a credit check or pay a deposit to move from prepayment to paying by credit, Citizens Advice says, but you do not need your landlord's permission if you pay the supplier directly.
Sources: Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching energy supplier if you're a tenant (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching from prepayment to paying by credit (read 15 October 2026)
What should you ask about water and the TV Licence?
- Ask whether there is a water meter. CCW says a metered bill is the water you use plus a standing charge, and an unmetered bill is based on the value of the property.
- In Scotland, Scottish Water says councils apply the exemptions from water and waste charges, including for students. Northern Ireland's domestic water charges are deferred, NI Water says.
- GOV.UK says one TV Licence covers a shared household on a joint tenancy agreement, or where everyone watches in one shared area. With separate tenancy agreements, anyone who watches TV in their own room needs their own £180 licence.
Sources: CCW: how is my water bill calculated? (read 15 October 2026); Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 15 October 2026); NI Water: 2026/27 charges (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)
Is a bills package cheaper than splitting the bills yourselves?
Sometimes. It depends on what the house uses, so compare like with like.
- Ofgem's price cap limits the unit rate and standing charge on default tariffs, not your total bill: the more energy the house uses, the higher the bill.
- A package or an inclusive rent swaps that for a set price, so compare what it includes, any usage cap and the exit terms with paying the suppliers yourselves.
- While a landlord pays the energy supplier, Citizens Advice says you cannot switch supplier or tariff yourself.
Sources: Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching energy supplier if you're a tenant (read 15 October 2026)
How do you check the bills at a viewing?
Six checks, most of which take a minute on your phone.
- 1
Ask for the bills terms in writing
Ask the landlord or agent which bills the rent includes, any fair usage cap and what happens above it, and get the answers by email before you commit.
- 2
Look up the EPC
Search the address on GOV.UK's energy certificate service, or ask to see the certificate, and note the rating and the typical energy costs.
- 3
Check broadband and mobile signal
Enter the postcode on Ofcom's checker for broadband and mobile coverage, and ask whether the house has a working line.
- 4
Find the meters
Ask to see the gas, electricity and water meters, and note any prepayment meter, key or card.
- 5
Confirm who will pay council tax
List who will be a full-time student for the whole tenancy, and ask whether the house is let on one joint tenancy or room by room.
- 6
Agree whose name goes on each bill
Before you sign, decide who will hold each account and how the house will split the bills.
Sources: GOV.UK: find an energy certificate (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: broadband and mobile coverage checker (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 15 October 2026); Shelter England: bills in a shared house (updated 1 May 2026) (read 15 October 2026)
How can Taupia help once you have the house?
- Taupia keeps the house's energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place, splits each one by the rule your house sets and shows who has paid. It never moves money itself.
- It compares energy, broadband and mobile deals, including energy from 19 suppliers covering around 90% of the GB market, and switches once your household approves.
- Council tax and water stay with the council and your water company. Taupia does not set up council tax or switch water.
- Taupia is free.
Questions about bills before you sign for a student house
What questions should I ask about bills when viewing a student house?
Ask which bills the rent includes and any fair usage cap, whose name goes on each account, the EPC rating, whether broadband and a mobile signal reach the address, whether everyone will be a full-time student, and what meters the house has. Get the answers about included bills in writing before you sign.
Is a bills-included student house worth it?
It depends on the cap and on how much energy the house uses. Ofgem's price cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not the total, so a house that uses little energy may pay less direct. Check the allowance and the price above it, and remember you cannot switch tariff while the landlord pays the supplier.
What EPC rating should a student house have?
In England and Wales, most private landlords cannot let a home rated below E unless they have a valid exemption. Higher is better: the certificate rates homes from A to G and shows their typical energy costs, so compare those costs between houses before you choose.
Do students pay council tax in a shared house?
Not if everyone is a full-time student. One adult who is not a full-time student means the house gets a bill, with 25% off if they are the only adult counted. Shelter says landlords are usually responsible for council tax in a shared house, so ask yours who will pay it.
How many TV Licences does a student house need?
One for the whole house if you share a joint tenancy agreement or only watch in one shared area. With separate tenancy agreements, GOV.UK says everyone who watches live TV or BBC iPlayer in their own room needs their own licence, at £180 each.
What should I check about the meters?
Whether the gas and electricity meters are prepayment, smart or standard, and whether there is a water meter. If there is a prepayment meter, Citizens Advice says to contact the supplier before you top up, so you do not pay off the previous tenants' debts.
Guides for every question on the checklist
The detail behind each answer, for the house you choose.
Start here
Bills included in rent, explained
RecommendedWhat an inclusive rent can cover, how to read a usage cap and what a landlord can charge.
Bills packages vs splitting bills yourselves
What a package costs against paying suppliers direct, with a calculator.
Whose name goes on the bills?
Joint and several liability, and what to do when a housemate will not pay.
Council tax when you live with a non-student
Who pays when one housemate is not a student, and the 25% discount.
Broadband in a student house share
Whose name goes on the contract, how to split it and what happens when someone leaves.
UK bills for international students
Council tax for families, energy deposits, SIMs and the TV Licence.
Student bills by city
Energy rates, the water company and the council's student exemption by city.
Cite this page
Taupia. "What should you ask about bills when viewing a student house?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/students/house-viewing-bills-checklist
Found the house?
Taupia splits each bill by your house's rule and shows who has paid, without moving any money. It compares energy, broadband and mobile deals and switches once your household approves. It is free, and nothing changes without your approval.