'Bills included' please?

‘Bills included’ is the most popular search term for renters seeking to find a new place to call home. Renters are keen to have certainty on their monthly outgoings as the cost-of-living squeeze continues.

While in 6th position in 2021, ‘bills included’ has now overtaken those prioritising pet-friendly properties or those looking for outside space, either a balcony or garden.

A survey of over 12,000 renters by HomeLet and Dataloft found nearly half of renters currently use or are interested in buying a utilities package from their letting agent, a far higher proportion than those using or interested in contents insurance or a tech package.

The new Prime Minister has confirmed energy prices will be capped for households until 2024, which could curb inflation growth by up to 5%, and bring inflation back down below the government’s target sooner.

Source: Dataloft, Rightmove, 2022, based on Keyword Sort, August 2022