What Bills Do You Pay When Renting in the UK?

If you rent a flat or house in England, you will usually pay the household bills yourself, on top of the rent. The exceptions are a tenancy where bills are included in the rent, and a shared house where each tenant rents a room on their own agreement. In that case the landlord is usually the one who pays council tax.

This guide goes through each bill, who normally pays it, and what to check in your tenancy agreement before you sign.

The bills a tenant usually pays

When you rent a whole home, on your own or with a partner, expect to pay these yourself:

Bill	Who you pay	Notes
Council tax	Your local council	Tenants are often responsible
Gas and electricity	Your energy supplier	Set up your own account when you move in
Water	Your water company	Set up your own account when you move in
Broadband and phone	Your provider	Your own contract
TV licence	TV Licensing	Only if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer
Contents insurance	Your insurer	Optional, covers your own belongings

Shelter’s advice is simple: if your agreement does not mention bills, you are probably responsible for paying them yourself, and you need to set up your own accounts with the water and energy companies.

When bills are included in the rent

Some landlords offer rent with some or all bills included. Shelter says your landlord must tell you about any bills included in your rent, and the agreement or written information should say whether each bill is part of the rent or a separate payment. If it is a separate payment, it should say how much and when.

Three things to check in a bills-included tenancy:

1. Which bills are covered. “Bills included” can mean energy only, or energy, water and broadband. Council tax and the TV licence are often separate.
2. Fair usage limits. Shelter notes that limits on energy and water use are sometimes called “fair usage clauses”. Check the limit, what happens if you go over it, and whether the rent can rise when energy costs rise.
3. What you can be charged for energy. Shelter says you cannot be charged more for gas and electricity than your landlord pays to the supplier.

Council tax and the TV licence in your rent

GOV.UK’s guidance for tenants in England says council tax and the TV licence can be included in your rent if your tenancy agreement says so. If they are not included, you pay the council and TV Licensing directly, and the landlord cannot require you to make a separate payment to them for either one.

Council tax when you rent

Council tax depends on how the home is let:

• A whole home rented by you, a couple, a family or joint tenants: tenants are often responsible. GOV.UK adds that spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for the bill.
• A shared house where you rent a room on your own agreement (a house in multiple occupation): Shelter says your landlord is usually responsible for council tax.
• A student house share: Shelter says you do not normally have to pay council tax.

If you are not sure who is responsible, GOV.UK’s advice is to contact your local council. Our council tax guide covers bands, discounts and paying over 12 months.

The TV licence in a shared house

GOV.UK says you need a TV licence to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or to use BBC iPlayer. You do not need one for streaming services like Netflix, on-demand TV like Amazon Prime Video, or videos on YouTube.

In a shared house, GOV.UK says you need your own TV licence if you have separate tenancy agreements and you watch TV in your own room. If you share one tenancy agreement for the whole house, one licence normally covers the household.

What to check before you sign

Before you agree to a tenancy, ask for these in writing:

1. A list of every bill and whether it is in the rent, a separate payment to the landlord, or yours to set up.
2. Any fair usage limits on energy or water.
3. Who pays council tax, especially in a shared house.
4. The meter readings on the day you move in, so you only pay for what you use.

Once you know which bills are yours, write each one down with its amount and the date it leaves your account. Our guide to keeping track of your bills shows a simple system, and a bill tracker app like Billo can remind you 3 days before each one is due.

Moving in on your own

If this is your first time renting alone, our moving out checklist lists every bill to budget for, including the 25% single person discount on council tax. If you are sharing, read our guide to splitting bills with housemates.

Where to get help

If you have a problem with bills in a rented home, Shelter’s housing advice pages and your local Citizens Advice can help. For council tax questions, contact your council directly.