Simple, predictable living with UniHomes
Working out who owes what for gas, water, and Wi-Fi is not most students' idea of a good time. DEU Estates partners with UniHomes to offer an optional bills-included upgrade for students and professionals, so each tenant pays a clear monthly amount for utilities. The option is available in selected student and professional shared houses across Leeds. You still choose the house; UniHomes simply takes care of the day to day billing.
What you get in the UniHomes bundle
When you add bills included, UniHomes arranges a single utilities package for your household. This typically includes:
- Gas and electricity for your property
- Water for the whole household
- High speed broadband for the home
- TV Licence for the property
Each tenant pays UniHomes directly by monthly direct debit. Costs are split evenly between named tenants, so you are only responsible for your own share.
A TV Licence is included as standard, so the household is covered for live TV and BBC iPlayer on eligible devices in the property.
Is bills included right for your house?
A quick way to compare a package with doing it yourself.
Bills included suits most shared student and professional houses that want predictable costs and minimal admin. It is especially useful if:
- You are a group of three or more and want a fixed utilities cost per person.
- Nobody is keen to manage multiple suppliers or chase housemates for money.
- You prefer to budget with one regular figure rather than variable bills.
If you are in a one or two person household, carefully managing your own bills can sometimes work out cheaper, particularly if you keep your usage low. In that case, a UniHomes package becomes more about convenience and less about saving every last pound.
How the payments work
Rent to DEU Estates; utilities to UniHomes; one share per tenant.
Your tenancy, deposit, and rent payments all sit with DEU Estates. The bills included option simply layers a UniHomes utilities package on top of that, with the UniHomes contract signed through DEU Estates.
UniHomes sets up the utilities account for the property and calculates a total cost for the household. That cost is then divided equally between named tenants, and each person has their own direct debit to UniHomes.
Nobody has to front the full bill, and nobody is left holding the account if housemates move out or pay late.
Step by step: adding a UniHomes package
What happens from viewing a property to your first utilities payment.
- Choose your DEU Estates student home in Leeds.
- Tell the DEU team you would like to include a UniHomes bills package.
- DEU Estates prepares the UniHomes utilities contract alongside your tenancy details.
- You sign the UniHomes contract through DEU Estates, and direct debits are set up for each named tenant.
- Your utilities are ready for the start of your tenancy, and each tenant pays UniHomes monthly.
If you decide later that you would like to add bills included to an existing tenancy, this can usually be arranged, subject to agreement and your tenancy terms.
Energy use and fair usage policy
Normal use is covered; protection is aimed at genuinely excessive usage.
UniHomes designs its packages around typical student usage for gas, electricity, water, and broadband. You do not have to submit regular meter readings or juggle separate tariffs; the whole package is set up to feel uncapped in normal day to day living.
There is a negligent or extreme use policy in place to protect against clearly unreasonable consumption, such as heating an empty property for long periods. In practice, most houses fall well within expected ranges, and additional charges are rare and only considered where usage is consistently far above what would be expected for a similar student home.
Benefits of going all inclusive
Why many DEU Estates students prefer a UniHomes package.
- One predictable utilities payment per tenant, every month.
- No need to manage multiple suppliers or compare tariffs.
- No awkward conversations chasing housemates for their share.
- Fast broadband included as standard in the package.
- Backed by UniHomes, a specialist in student utilities.
Where you can choose bills included
Popular student areas in Leeds with bills included options.
The bills included option is available on a selection of DEU Estates student and professional properties in:
Hyde Park Headingley Burley Leeds City Centre
Use our student property finder to browse current listings and find the perfect option for your group needs.
View all Student Properties View all Professional Properties
How DEU Estates and UniHomes work together
One team for your property; another focused on your utilities.
DEU Estates remains your landlord and point of contact for everything related to your property, tenancy, and maintenance. UniHomes focuses on the utilities side, dealing with energy suppliers, broadband providers, and the TV Licensing team where applicable.
Tenant FAQs
Not always. In smaller houses, especially for one or two tenants who keep a close eye on their usage, managing utilities directly can sometimes work out cheaper. In larger shared houses, the UniHomes package often offers better value once you factor in time saved, reduced stress, and the risk of being left to cover someone else's share.
UniHomes builds expected usage into the package. There is a policy to cover negligent or extreme use, but normal student living is what the package is designed for. In most cases, households stay within expected ranges and do not see any extra charges.
No. Bills included is optional. You can choose to manage utilities yourself with separate suppliers if that suits your household better. DEU Estates can explain both routes when you reserve a property so you can compare.
UniHomes divides the package cost equally between the named tenants. Each person has their own direct debit, paid straight to UniHomes, so you do not need to collect money from housemates or transfer funds between accounts.
Yes. Broadband is part of the UniHomes package for the property. In many areas there is the option to choose or upgrade to a faster fibre service, depending on availability.
Yes. UniHomes can usually provide a package for smaller households as well. It is worth comparing the monthly cost against setting up your own accounts, particularly if you expect to use less energy than average.
Typically, the UniHomes package includes gas, electricity, water, and broadband for the property. A TV Licence can usually be added as an optional extra, which will then cover the whole household for live TV and BBC iPlayer where needed.
In many cases, yes. If you change your mind after signing, speak to DEU Estates. Adding a UniHomes package later is usually possible, but it is subject to your tenancy terms and agreement with both DEU Estates and UniHomes.
The package is designed so that normal student usage feels uncapped. There is, however, a policy in place for negligent or extreme overuse. As long as you use energy reasonably and treat the property as you would your own home, you should not see any extra charges.
For anything related to billing, direct debits, or utilities, you contact UniHomes. For questions about your tenancy, rent, maintenance, or the property itself, you contact DEU Estates. Each side looks after their part so issues are easier to resolve.
