What Does the Rent Include?

There’s no simple answer to the question of what is included in the rent. This is because the answer will likely vary from one flat complex to the next. A few flat complexes may include a variety of items within their rent while others may charge tenants additional fees as needed and still others may require the tenants to register directly with individual public utilities and handle these expenses on their own.

Likewise a few flat complexes may include additional features with the cost of the rent while others may charge additional fees for these features. A pool, exercise room, meeting room or theater are just some examples which perhaps offered by a flat complex. In most cases the use of these amenities are included in the cost of the rent but there are exceptions where the tenant is charged an additional fee for the privilege of using these amenities.

Consider the cost of Utilities

When considering the cost or a rental property, the renter should first determine whether or not utilities are included in the price of the rent. This is significant as depending on the size of the property and the climate of the area, heating and cooling prices may be rather unaffordable. In most cases, the tenant is responsible for the cost of their own utilities and their flat is individually monitored for usage and the tenant is billed every month by the utility company. However, in the case of an individual renting a flat in a private house as opposed to a flat complex, the householder may collect money for utility uses in another way. Depending on the agreement between the householder and the tenant the every month rent perhaps set at a rate which includes a contribution to the utility prices or the tenant perhaps assessed a pre-determined percentage of each utility bill on a monthly basis.

It’s important to consider the cost of utilities when they’re not included in the rent as failure to do so may lead to unpleasant surprises in the future. E.g. a tenant in a specially cold climate may rent a spacious flat for a great rate only to find out later that the cost of heating the flat makes it difficult for the tenant to afford to live in the flat.

Consider Amenities which are “Free”

When tenants are selecting a flat, they should consider the amenities which are “free” as opposed to the amenities for which the tenant is charged an additional fee. The word free is used in quotations in the heading of this section to indicate these amenities don’t always come without a cost. A tenant may not pay a usage fee for a few amenities but it’s very likely the privilege of using these amenities is factored into the every month rent.

As an example consider two 800 square foot flats in the same geographical area. Each flat may have a similar layout and comparable square footage but the every month rents associated with these two flats might be quite different. In examining the amenities you might notice the higher prices apartment has access to a pool, an exercise room and a theater all for the use of residents while the lower priced flat provides no such amenities. In this case the residents of the costlier flats are really paying a higher every month rent as a result of the amenities offered.

In a case such as the example above, tenants should weight their alternatives carefully. If they may afford to pay the costlier rent, they should carefully consider whether or not they want to pay a higher fee for use of the amenities. A tenant who doesn’t like to swim, belongs to a gym and does not have a great deal of free time to watch movies may decide they would be better off selecting the lower priced apartment without amenities.