Whether you rent or own your home – a reliable and affordable broadband connection is vital.
Broadband allows you to stay connected, work from home, and access entertainment like streaming movies, TV shows, music or gaming. If you live in a shared flat then a good broadband connection that doesn’t fluctuate or buffer when more people connect is likely to be essential to a harmonious shared flat!
Each flat is likely to have a unique set of requirements for your broadband. If you live in a large shared flat you are likely to want a super-fast unlimited plan for multiple streamers and gamers. But if you are renting while you save to buy, you are likely to want to cheapest plan available to keep costs low.
Your best broadband plan will depend on what’s available at your address and whether fibre or copper internet is available. Simply enter your address in our address checker for a comprehensive list of broadband plans available.
A minority of renters find themselves in a situation where fibre is available in their area, but not installed at their rental home. If you live in a home where you want to get fibre installed you will need to follow the consent process to get fibre installed.
If you can’t get consent to install fibre, you may need to consider an alternative connection type like ADSL or VDSL, or wireless internet.
Signing up for a 12-24 month contract can be a great way to get a low monthly rate for your broadband, but you often have to pay an expensive cancellation fee if you want to cancel the contract early. If you don’t have a 12-month tenancy at your rental property then a no-contract plan can be a good way to avoid cancellation fees if you have to move.
When comparing broadband plans, it is worth looking at any free inclusions or add-ones. These may be “standard” inclusions like free modem, free modem delivery, or free phone line. Broadband companies may also offer new customers deals that include free access to streaming services like Netflix, Neon or Lightbox. Some deals even include free items like free TVs, tablets, BBQs or more when you sign up.
It has become increasingly common for broadband companies to try to entice new customers with plans that include free or discounted months. For example, pay nothing for the first 3 or 4 months, or pay a lower rate for the first 6 months, then revert to a higher ‘standard’ monthly rate. This can make comparisons a bit more complicated as you need to compare low introductory rates and then the higher rate.
It can help to compare the cost per year rather than the cost per month if you are signing up for a 12 or 24-month plan. This can help ensure that you are getting a good deal across the lifespan of your contract.
Comparing the cost per year is simple when comparing with Broadband Compare. Enter the address in the address finder to view a list of plans available at your address. Then use the menu on the top right to change from “price per month” to “price per year” or “price per two years”.
Additional costs on your broadband plan may include a connection fee, termination fee, router rental or delivery, or additional homeline free.
The best broadband speed for your flat will depend on how many flatmates you have, how you use the internet, and what’s available in your area.
Are you in a large shared flat, with multiple people gaming, streaming content and surfing the net at the same time? Or is there just a couple of you streaming Netflix occasionally, and browsing the net? Here’s a comparison of how different broadband speeds shape up in real life.
Fibre broadband speeds will offer the fastest consistent connections speeds and should be considered a first choice for most people. If that’s not available VDSL connections are usually the next fastest, followed by ADSL broadband.
VDSL and ADSL broadband connections run over existing copper phone lines. The connection speed you receive will depend on how far from the exchange you are and how many other users are connected during peak times. If you are frustrated with your copper broadband speeds, you may be surprised to learn that Wireless or 4G broadband can perform as quickly as fibre in some areas.
Who wants to deal with flat admin? Bundling your power and broadband with one provider is a great way to streamline your flat admin. It means you only have one provider, one billing cycle and one point of contact for both services.
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