More than half of student private rentals now offer the inclusion of household utilities

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. - Aug. 14, 2015 - PRLog -- As a record number of young people prepare to start university, What Students Seek¹ an annual report compiled by Glide Utilities, finds that students in the UK need to set aside an average of £84 per week for bills-inclusive rent.

The option for bills-inclusive has been a growing trend since 2005 when data for student accommodation preferences was first made available. Now more than half² (51.5%) of student private rentals offer the inclusion of household utilities. On average students will pay a premium of £3 per week to have the likes of electricity, gas and broadband included in their rent.

The majority of students, (61%) now want bills included, the benefit being ease, convenience and avoiding arguments over unpaid bills - 12% of students have been left to pay someone else’s bill. For those that don’t have bills inclusive, Glide, the utilities and service provider for shared households, has introduced a payment plan whereby students decide how much they want to pay. Surprisingly, since giving students the power to pay what they want, Glide has found that the majority (65%) opt to pay 5% or 10% over the recommended amount set, with a further 25% opting to pay 15% or 20% over. The idea of cashback at the end of the year is clearly more desirable to university students than an unwelcomed bill at the end of the year for over-usage.

As well as students wanting bills included in their rents, the 2015 What Students Seek report revealed how student accommodation expectations are growing. One third now demand ensuite bathroom facilities, while 61% are on the look-out for double beds.

Fast Internet access is the top demand of students: 83% highlight this as something they look for, while good storage, 72%, is also popular. Over half (55%) say it’s very important to be close to their university and 31% highlight the need for good transport links. Only 13% are looking to be in a well-populated student area; while just 9% called out ‘good access to bar and clubs’ as a very important factor.

James Villarreal, CEO at Glide Utilities said of the findings; “The stereotype of students staying in cheap digs is no longer a reality – you’re more likely to see students today in more luxurious student developments. The standard of student living is changing, and undergraduates are looking for more, and are willing to pay for it.”

Glide was set up by two entrepreneurial undergraduates to offer other students multi-tenant billing, taking the headache and financial risk out of bills for people living in shared accommodation. Glide’s mantra is bills made simple, life made simple. They exist to take the pain and stress out of utility bills and make life simpler for students, and those living in shared households. To help make things easier for Freshers this Autumn, Glide has produced a guide to university life view it here (http://issuu.com/accommodationforstudents/docs/glide_eboo...).

ENDS

Notes to Editor

For a regional breakdown of bills-inclusive rent or to receive the What Students Seek report please contact Shelley Doyle or Chevi Davis at Present PR http://www.presentpr.com

1. Results taken from a survey of 714 students in March 2015. Research was conducted by Accommodation for Students and was nationwide.

2. Results taken from Accommodation for Students annual average rent analysis of 12,200 student property listings across the UK.Notes to editors

Glide is a utilities and service provider for shared households. Founded in 2006, Glide was the first company in the UK to offer multi-tenant billing, taking the headache and financial risk out of bills for people living in shared accommodation. Glide’s mantra is bills made simple, life made simple. They exist to take the pain and stress out of utility bills, so letting agents, landlords, and tenants have more time to do the things they love.

Glide is recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses, having entered the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 in late 2014, and has achieved several accolades for achievement: notably, Best Business Award for Innovation: Best Business Awards 2014.

www.accommodationforstudents.com is the UK’s leading student accommodation website. Founded in 2000 by Simon Thompson, the site has gone from strength to strength and now attracts over 3 million visitors each year. There are over 770,000 students registered with the site and around 20,000 landlords and letting agents with active accounts.