The Billing Better Blog

As a landlord, inspections are a great way to see whether your property is being maintained to a reasonable standard, and also help tenants iron out any problems. Inspections are also great during the early months of new tenancies, as you can ensure the tenant has settled in, answer any questions they may have and get a better feel for how they’re using the property. 

One of the most frustrating things about student accommodation is that you’ll face inspections every three to six months, where your landlord, letting agent, or student housing provider will check your accommodation for any damage and ensure it’s being maintained to a reasonable standard. Fear not: we’ve put together tips on surviving your next inspection. 

Moving away to university should be one of the most exciting times of your life, offering your first glimpse of independence and the chance to reinvent yourself and start over. But one of the most daunting things you need to face before you get started is finding the right student accommodation for your needs. Although some of the basics are obvious - proximity to your campus, price, and floor space - there are some other things you might overlook. Below, we have put together some of the elements you must consider when you’re viewing a property.

Though you should feel safe and at ease on university campus, the truth is that we all have to be vigilant when we’re out and about. Whether you’re in your first year or third year, we’ve put together some tips on staying safe at university.

Although the private rental market might be performing better than ever, with the average property taking just 20 days to let out, it’s always a good idea to keep on top of your properties’ kerb appeal to maximise their appeal to potential tenants. Maintain your outside spaces, keep your buy-to-lets looking as attractive as possible, and you’ll never struggle to fill them, or even sell them should you ever decide to liquidate your property portfolio.

Billing Better has announced a new partnership with Vaboo, the rewards platform that enables agents to build trust with their tenants, keep customers engaged and stand out in a crowded market. Combined, the companies will offer hundreds of exciting perks to tenants.

Speaking of his appointment, Matt said: “2020 was a difficult year for all of us. However, during times of difficulty, the biggest and best opportunities present themselves. For me, this was definitely the case when facing an uncertain future, I had the fortune of being introduced to Billing Better. 

We're excited to announce a new partnership with Guarantor Insure, designed to protect both guarantors and agents with a simple insurance policy, offering peace of mind.

Whether you’re at the UCAS application stage or you’ve already received offers from unis for the next academic year, deciding on which to choose can be tough. With so many options on offer, and pros and cons to different towns, cities, and educational facilities, we thought we’d round up some tips on picking the right university for your needs, whatever you’re studying… 

At Billing Better, we offer a bills management service to students and young professionals, designed to help them reduce unnecessary admin and focus on their studies. We extended the scheme to letting agents, who can resell our service under their own brand. Recently, we covered some fun marketing ideas for agents to target student tenants, and today, we’re delving deeper into the sector, offering eye-opening statistics that could change the way you run your business. Data was taken from the Knight Frank and UCAS 2021 Annual Survey. 

Another benefit Billing Better customers can enjoy is LifePerks, our free rewards platform that helps you save even more. We’ve put together some of the reasons you should use it…

Those three years go by so quickly! Whether you’re in your first year or you’re gearing up to graduate this summer, the chances are that you have been thinking about what you’re going to do next. Most students leave university and go onto work placements, internships, and entry-level positions, but before you get to that stage, make these six things a top priority… 

As we enter a third national lockdown, many young people are finding themselves in a new and unique situation: living on their own in their student accommodation for the first time. If you’re one of them, fear not. Though the situation may feel overwhelming right now, you can get through this. Below, we’ve put together some coping strategies to ensure you stay sane.

Whether you’re looking at student accommodation for the year ahead of you’re a graduate with an internship in the city, the chances are that you have considered renting in a shared property. Sure, you’ll get more privacy when you rent by yourself, you’ll never have to fight over who uses the bathroom first, and you can make as much noise as you want, but there are some surprising benefits to sharing a house with others. We’ve rounded up the biggest… 

Moving away from home and into a shared house with strangers can be pretty overwhelming and one of the most challenging things about starting university. Though we can’t guarantee that your new flatmates are going to become BFFs or that you’re going to love your course from day one, we can give you advice on making the move-in day as stress-free as possible.

As a property investor, auctions are a great way to pick up new buy-to-let opportunities at a bargain price. Not only does buying from an auction help reduce the frustration and cost of buying in a chain, but there’s minimal risk of a sale falling through, and short timescales mean that you could have your property within a couple of weeks. Another benefit of buying through auction is transparency: you know exactly how much the property will cost you, less fees, and you’re bidding in a public sphere - you don’t need to make sealed bids and wait for an answer. Below, we’ve put together some tips for buying a buy-to-let property at auction… 

It’s natural to assume that “move-in day” is nothing more than turning up at your property and handing over the keys, but the truth is that you have a range of legal and practical obligations to ensure your property is suitable for your tenants. We’ve rounded up some of the biggest… 

As a landlord, finding new ways to engage potential tenants and stand out in a crowded rental market can be tough. One way an increasing number of landlords are diversifying their offerings - particularly in the student rental market - is to offer an all-inclusive service, where tenants pay one monthly fee for their rent and household bills. One fee can cover everything from gas and electricity to council tax, broadband and water, and it can be an attractive proposition when marketed correctly. Below, we’ve rounded up the biggest pros and cons… 

We’ve rounded up some money-saving New Year's Resolution ideas to help you out.

Managing your household bills doesn’t have to be a challenge. We’ve put together everything you need to know to get started.

After spending many months cooped up indoors, renters now seek out different qualities when looking for their next property. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest changes.

We’ve put together some ways to reduce agent fees and hold onto more of your cash.

We’ve put together five of the best student discounts websites in 2020.

We’ve rounded up a few ideas to keep you occupied when isolating. 

We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about your duties as a landlord and offer some advice to ensure you’re compliant and offering tenants safe accommodation... 

We’ve put together five fun marketing ideas to help you attract more student tenants.

Once you’ve settled in and you’ve made some new friends, follow these top tips on saving money when living in a house share… 

We’ve rounded up some advice to help you get to grips with your new home. Be sure to try them out; you’ll feel like you’ve been living there for years!

We’ve put together some tips on properly furnishing your student properties.

If you’re planning to move to the United Kingdom for university this September, you won’t be alone. Research suggests that around half a million international students move to the UK every year to take advantage of our award-winning universities, and with great nightlife and culture to explore, there are so many ways to broaden your horizons outside the classroom.

We’ve put together some of the pros and cons, and offer tips on blended learning…

We’ve put together some tips on deciding who pays what in a shared house.

If you’re feeling anxious, fear not: we’ve rounded up some tips on nailing a university interview… 

Before you hang up your keys, we thought we’d put together some considerations to make.

We’ve put together everything you need to know about dealing with student tenants.

Once you’ve applied for your place at university, anxiously waited for your exam results and had that conditional offer confirmed, it’s time to get excited. But before you move, there are a few things you need to take into consideration. We’ve outlined some of the biggest below… 

We’ve put together some ways to get to know your new housemates.

From student accommodation to shared housing, HMOs are an attractive option for investors and landlords, but they don’t come without some compromises. To help you make the right decision for your next investment, we’ve rounded up the biggest pros and cons of HMOs… 

The truth is that university life is unpredictable, but there are ways that you can encourage students to extend their tenancy. We’ve rounded up seven of the best options below… 

Though the best way to become a good landlord is to use your initiative and learn from your mistakes, we thought we’d pull together some useful advice to give you a headstart… 

There’s no getting away from it: being a student is bloody expensive! It may feel like your lucky day when your first student grant hits your bank account, but once you’ve taken into account your textbooks, travel, food, drink, and leisure activities, that £2,000 will quickly turn into -£200 if you’re not careful. Below, we’ve put together some ways to make it last longer.

Whether you’re a dab hand with your SLR or a video beginner, we’ve put together some tips to help you shoot professional-looking virtual viewings that will entice potential buyers…

Once you’ve handed in your last piece of coursework and closed your exam paper, the summer holidays go pretty fast. As a student, transitioning from college to university can be tough; one of the most important things to do is choose the right student accommodation.

We’ve rounded up five of our favourite UK landlord blogs that you should bookmark.

Though the advice remains that you should stay at home to reduce the spread of the virus and save lives, there are ways that you can give back and help others in their time of need…

We’ve put together some tips and tricks on staying sane during the lockdown.

As a landlord or agent, you’ll no doubt have lots of questions about how the pandemic is going to impact your income, and changes you may need to make to protect yourself and your tenants. Below, we’ve rounded up some top tips…

We’ve put together six things to think about before you start renting to students…

Once you’ve completed your assignments and spent time with friends, the last thing you’re going to want to do is to sift through the internet looking for a coupon code off your next ASOS shop. Fear not: below, we’ve put together everything you need to know to save big… 

When a tenant tells you they’re moving out, you’ll have a lot to think about, not least finding another tenant to replace them as soon as possible. But before you do, and before your tenants vacate the property and receive their bond, follow our end-of-tenancy checklist… 

Though the tenant/landlord relationship is a two-way street and requires some negotiation and back and forth at times, we’ve put together some tips and tricks on being a good tenant. 

There are some obvious drawbacks to allowing cats and dogs in your properties, but there are positives, too, so it’s about finding the balance.

We’ve rounded up six money-saving tips to help you celebrate, without breaking the bank… 

The life of a working landlord will never be glamorous, but you don’t have to slave away for hours on end cleaning your property when you follow these hacks… 

You don’t have to spend a fortune to eat a healthy diet. We’ve rounded up some top tips to keep more pounds in your wallet… 

Whether you’ve moved into dorms or you’re sharing with friends (or strangers!), check out these top tips on turning your new house into a home…

Though the vast majority of your work will involve selecting properties and vetting tenants, equipping yourself with the following skills will help increase your chances of success…

You can’t just buy any old property. We’ve put together some of the things you should take into consideration before you hand over the cash for your next buy-to-let.

We’ve rounded up ten ways to reduce your houseshare’s carbon footprint in 2020 and live a greener, more sustainable life when you’re sharing a house…

As your company grows and priorities change, outsourcing some aspects of your business to the professionals makes sense. We've put together the reasons why… 

At Billing Better, we help those living with friends or flatmates set up all of their household bills and pay for just their share. It’s simple, convenient, and it saves time and headaches. Need more reasons to sign up with us? Below, we’ve put together some of the biggest… 

We've put together some tips and tricks on becoming a better landlord.

Whether you’re an introvert who spends all of your time in your bedroom or an extravert who is never at home, adjusting to a new life sharing a property with others can be tough. Follow these rules and everyone will be happy.

How can you increase rents without losing tenants? We've put together a guide to raising rents to give you some food for thought and ensure you make the right decision… 

We’ve put together some of the reasons why you should consider working whilst you’re studying… 

Though it’s impossible to weed out the good tenants from the bad tenants entirely, there are some ways to reduce the chances of letting out your property to a tenant you’ll regret.

If you’re sick of always being skint and want to change the relationship you have with money, the New Year represents an opportunity for a fresh start. Make some small changes to your finances and you’ll be better off in the long-run.

Struggling to get your housemates to pay their bills on time? We've got you covered.

Spending too much on subscription services? We've put together some tips on how to save money...

We've rounded up some eye-opening statistics on student accommodation that could change the way you run your business.

At Billing Better, we’ve taken a leaf out of the all-inclusive concept to offer a service modern renters love. Granted, we don’t offer bottomless chicken nuggets or watered-down Sangria, but we do cover every household bill, including their gas, electricity, broadband, water, and TV package, for one monthly price.

Though we can’t wave a magic wand and stick a million quid in your bank account, the team here at Billing Better thought it would be nice to round up some ways you can save money as a student. 

Though we can’t promise to turn back the clock on the Tenant Fee Ban introduction, we can offer some ways to generate more revenue from your lettings agency in 2019 and beyond… 

Save the planet and your bank balance with these energy-saving tips for students.

Want to reach more students and fill your properties fast? We've put together some useful tips and tricks...