9 minute read
Key points
- In a North Point house share, one monthly rent covers your furnished room, council tax, energy, water and broadband.
- Shared areas such as the kitchen, bathroom and lounge are cleaned regularly, but your own room is your job.
- Contents insurance, food, phone and subscriptions are not included, and neither is your deposit.
- Your tenancy must state whether bills are in the rent or extra, so check before you sign.
- Bills included is not always cheaper, but it gives you one fixed figure with no surprise winter bills.
- Each room is its own rolling monthly tenancy, so a housemate leaving does not end yours.
This guide is for anyone looking for a room to rent in Tameside, whether you are starting a job in Ashton-under-Lyne, moving near Stalybridge station or looking in Hyde. It suits first time sharers, people relocating and anyone tired of juggling bills.
House share: what is included in the rent?
A house share is a home where several people each rent a room and share the kitchen, bathroom and living space. What the rent includes changes from house to house, so ask first, then read the tenancy agreement.
At North Point, one monthly rent covers:
- Your own room. A furnished double room, ready to move into.
- Every bill. Council tax, energy, water and broadband.
- Shared spaces. The kitchen, bathroom and lounge, plus extras such as the residents' cinema room at Stamford Square.
- Cleaning. Regular cleaning of the shared areas.
- Repairs. Our own maintenance team fixes faults in the house.
This is general information as of 28 October 2026, not legal advice. Ask any agent what is included before you pay anything. See what we offer on our rooms to rent page.
Bills included house share: what does that cover?
Bills included means you make one payment and the landlord or agent pays the household bills. You do not open accounts or split a gas bill with people you have just met.
What the law says about bills
Your tenancy must say whether bills are in the rent or charged extra, and how they are charged. That is one of the items in the written statement of terms a landlord has to give you. Where a tenant does pay for utilities, the landlord cannot make a profit on them under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
What comes with a furnished room to rent?
A furnished room to rent should be ready to live in on day one. Ours are furnished doubles with a double bed and matching furniture. Some rooms have extras: the top floor suite at Dukinfield Road in Hyde has its own sitting area and shower room, for example.
Ask for the inventory, which lists what is in the room and its condition, and take your own dated photos on move in day. Assume you bring bedding, towels and personal items unless told otherwise, and ask whether the kitchen has pots, pans and crockery.
What is not included in a house share?
- Your deposit. This is separate from rent. Ours is two weeks' rent for a room, protected with the Deposit Protection Service.
- Contents insurance. The landlord insures the building, not your belongings.
- Food and subscriptions. Groceries, toiletries, your phone and streaming services.
- Cleaning your own room. Shared areas are cleaned for you, your room is yours to keep tidy.
What you will not pay are fees. There are no charges for referencing, admin, check in or cleaning, because the law bans them. See our room rental costs and fees guide for the full list of what a landlord can and cannot charge.
What is an HMO house share, and how is it different from a flat share?
An HMO, or house in multiple occupation, is a property shared by three or more people from at least two households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Most house shares are HMOs. It simply comes with extra rules to protect the people living there.
- Licensing. A house with five or more people from two or more households needs a licence from the council. Norman Road in Stalybridge, our six room house, is licensed by Tameside Council.
- Room sizes. A licensed house has minimum bedroom sizes. For one adult the minimum is 6.51 square metres, and floor space under a ceiling lower than 1.5 metres does not count.
- Management rules. Every HMO manager must display contact details, keep escape routes and alarms working, keep shared areas clean and in repair, and provide adequate bins, under the HMO Management Regulations 2006.
House share or flat share?
| Question | Typical flat share | Room by room house share |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy | One joint tenancy for everyone | Your own tenancy for your room |
| If a housemate leaves | One joint tenant's notice usually ends it for all | Your tenancy carries on |
| Bills | Often in your names, split between you | Often in the rent, as with ours |
| Housemates | You choose them | The agent or landlord chooses |
Each room let separately is its own assured periodic tenancy (Housing Act 1988, section 3). That means a rolling monthly tenancy with no end date. Our house share tenant rights guide explains what that gives you.
Is a house share with bills included cheaper? A worked example
Not always. Here is a comparison using assumed figures for the other house. They are examples, not quotes, and real bills differ. The all in room uses the £700 a month shown on our rooms page at the time of writing.
| Monthly cost | Bills extra (assumed) | Bills extra, lean month (assumed) | All in room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | £520 | £480 | £700 |
| Energy share | £95 | £60 | Included |
| Water share | £28 | £22 | Included |
| Broadband share | £22 | £15 | Included |
| Council tax share | £85 | £70 | Included |
| Total | £750 | £647 | £700 |
In the first column, 520 + 95 + 28 + 22 + 85 = £750, so the all in room is £50 a month cheaper, or £600 over twelve months. In the lean month, 480 + 60 + 22 + 15 + 70 = £647, so paying separately would be £53 a month cheaper.
So it depends on the season and your housemates. What all in rent really gives you is certainty: the figure on your agreement is the figure you pay, with no winter spike and no argument over the heating.
How do shared kitchens, bathrooms and bins work?
Shared living works on a few simple habits.
- Kitchen. Wash up after you cook, wipe the hob and worktops, and keep your food to your own shelf or cupboard space.
- Bathroom. Leave it as you would like to find it, and tell us if something stops working.
- Noise. Keep it down late at night, because housemates work different hours.
- Bins. Put rubbish and recycling in the right bins, and ask on day one which bin goes out on which day.
- Fire safety. Never prop open fire doors, block escape routes or cover alarms. Tell us at once if an alarm stops working.
Regular cleaning of the shared areas means the deeper clean is done for you. The daily tidy is still shared.
Can you have guests in a house share?
Most house shares allow visitors, within reason. Our houses have simple house rules on noise, guests and bins, and you should ask for them in writing before you sign. Ask about overnight guests and how long a guest can stay.
A partner moving in is a different question. The number of people living in a house can change whether it needs a licence, so it is always something to agree with us first, never to assume.
Your privacy
Your room is your home. A landlord can inspect at reasonable times on 24 hours' written notice, and can only enter at once in an emergency.
Questions to ask before you take a room
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which bills are in the rent? | Council tax, energy, water and broadband should each be a clear yes or no. |
| Is there any limit on energy use? | Some agents set a fair use cap. |
| Who cleans shared areas? | Regular cleaning keeps the peace. |
| Can I see the house rules? | Guests, noise and bins should be in writing. |
| Is the house licensed or an HMO? | It tells you which safety rules apply. |
| Can I see the gas safety record and electrical report? | You are entitled to the gas record before you move in. |
| Who lives here now? | We tell you their jobs and ages, not names. |
| How do I leave? | Two months' notice in writing, with no minimum stay. |
Common mistakes when comparing house shares
- Comparing headline rents. A cheaper rent with bills on top is not cheaper until you add the bills.
- Skipping the agreement. The advert is not the contract.
- Forgetting insurance. Your belongings are not covered by the landlord's policy.
- Paying before you view. View the room and the shared spaces in person first.
Looking for a room to rent in Tameside? What to do next
Start by seeing what is free. We have houses in Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde and Stalybridge, and you can register your interest if every room is let. Before a viewing we check affordability, looking for annual income of at least 30 times the monthly rent, and Universal Credit and PIP count. Our referencing and affordability guide explains it, and our how to rent a room guide covers every step. Want a whole home instead? See our unfurnished homes to let, where you pay your own bills.
