There’s an apartment for everyone as the saying goes. It was true in the real estate boom in the 1960s and it’s true now, perhaps even more so. More and more high-rise buildings are being made especially for apartments and condos. Renting apartments are quite popular with young professionals; especially those with great perks like: pools, gyms, and being closely to restaurants.

It’s the best time in human history to rent but with so many different options, you can become overwhelmed. There’s a lot to consider in terms of floor plans, location, amenities, and of course price. If it’s just a short-term rental period, you may not pay as much attention to those features, but if you’re going in for the long haul and want something that’s going to be your home for the next year or more, you’ll want to make the right decision for your lifestyle and financial circumstances. One such factor that you might overlook is utilities; water, electric, gas, internet, TV, etc. These can get pricey depending on the options available and how big the apartment is. Sometimes rentals will come with ‘utilities included’. So, how should that factor into your overall decision?

Why have them with?

Sometimes renting an apartment will ‘include utilities’, which can seem like a good deal. However it may just mean the electricity and water. Heating might be separate. Depending on where you live, utilities may vary in the number of options you have, and how expensive they are. In Atlanta, where I live, theres only one electrical provider, but lots of heating providers. By using rent reports like this example from Milwaukee to understand market rate for rentals, you can see what cities will be charging you on average more for utilities. With this data you can make a more educated decision on whether you want utilities in your contract or without. This particular city saw a 1.67% increase for one-bedroom apartments alone in just 6 months. It’s over double that for a two-bedroom apartment. This is directly linked to energy prices and companies that operate in the local area. So, it very well could be a better deal to have utilities included if possible.

Is without more freedom?

Most of the time, you will only get the option of not having utilities with the apartment upon special request or if it’s already listed, which is of course subject to each landlord, and high end apartments and condos. For example a landlord for a penthouse worth in the hundreds of thousands of millions, will allow the tenant to choose their own utility suppliers. They’re already getting a lot of money in monthly rent, so they don’t mind this. Equally important is the fact that high end apartments offer more flexibility and freedom to choose, which is why they are not cheap to begin with. If you are in the market for an apartment which gives you more freedom, such as nailing pictures to the wall, then you should be happy to not have utility contracts bound onto your tenancy agreement. You’ll then be able to shop around on your own for utilities!

Apartments with utilities are more likely to fluctuate in price year on year and from agreement to agreement, so beware which city you are moving to. 

Although it may or may not be a dealbreaker for you, do some research on your own during your apartment hunt to make sure you’re getting the best deal – which may or may not include utilities!

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