When making a decision on where to sign a lease for the next year, one of the biggest factors to consider is the total amount your apartment will cost you each month. Your total monthly cost will be higher than the base rental rates listed on apartment websites due to additional monthly fees such as utilities, parking, pet fees, and more. It’s important to know exactly how much these extra fees will cost you.
At Rambler, we have helped hundreds of students find their homes for the school year. To make sure you have a full understanding of the leasing processes and total costs associated with signing a lease at a student apartment in Columbus, we have written this article breaking down the costs of utility fees and how they are calculated.
Cost of Utilities at Student Apartments near Ohio State
For most student housing apartments in Columbus, all utilities are included in your rental rate outside of electricity and water. These utilities may include gas, sewage, and internet/cable.
How are utility costs calculated?
Submetering is how each apartment complex measures electricity and water usage. Each apartment has its own meter, so you only pay for the utilities you use.
Your apartment complex may split the bill evenly between you and your roommates, or they may bill each roommate based on their usage. This depends on the apartment complex’s policy.
What is the average monthly cost of utilities?
Once utility costs are divided amongst roommates, this charge can range from approximately $15 to $70 per person, per month depending on usage and the apartment complex.
It’s important to note that utility costs can vary greatly from apartment to apartment, and may even fall outside of this range. When you’re touring apartments, be sure to ask the landlord or property manager about the average cost of utilities. This will help you budget for your monthly expenses.
How will utility costs be billed?
Utility bills are typically billed separately from rent. Most student apartments use a third-party app or service to bill you for utilities, which will typically be due at the end of each month.
For example, Rambler utilities are billed monthly through ConService. ConService works with the utility company to get your total bill and then splits it evenly between all your roommates. This way, you don’t have to worry about which roommate is paying each month or who you’ll need to send money to.
We hope this article gives you a better understanding of the average cost of utilities when living at an off-campus student apartment.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Rambler, please contact our leasing staff! We are more than happy to help in your search for housing.
