Are storage heaters a problem for rental

Raphael

I'm another tenant, and since I started living on my own I've never been in a flat with central heating (there aren't that many one-bedroom flats with central heating in the first place, and most of them were too expensive), in some cases it was a nightmare in others it was no problem at all, so like others have said it really depends on the circumstances.

After my first flat with storage heaters I hated them, not so much for the cost as I only used them for a very short period over the whole year as for the fact it was impossible to control when I wanted the heat, it was driving me mad.

But the following flat I got was with storage heaters too, I still went for it because it was cheaper than anything else I'd seen in the area and otherwise ideal for me, and ended up never having to use the storage heaters at all since I had double glazing and neighbours on all sides, and in the coldest of winter I had a gas fire in the living room which was enough to keep me warm.

After that I had a really bad experience in a ground floor flat (no heat from below, cold drafty corridor on one side, drafty windows with no double-glazing) and relying on electric heaters solely (not even wall mounted) was hellish and expensive - especially the last couple of winters, my electricity bills were so high, I'd struggle to get even just the main room up to 16C-17C, and since I work from home a lot it's not the same when you're sitting at a computer (at night I didn't mind if it was only 10C) and have to take regular breaks cos your fingers are too cold to type!

I last moved 3 months ago and one of the things I was hoping for when viewing flats was central heating, but struggled to find anything within my price range that was suitable, so when I finally found the flat I'm in (about £50 cheaper than anything similar I'd seen in the area), I wasn't too bothered about the fact it was electric heaters, especially as once again I have neighbours on all sides, and better windows, plus a gas fire in the living room so hopefully I won't have to rely on the electric heaters too much...

Ben, since you say there is a gas supply to the house, would it be an option to instal a gas fire in the main room, which wouldn't cost so much as central heating but reassure tenants?

It also depends what type of tenants you're expecting to get - for elderly people or people with a baby for instance a property that is easy to keep warm at all times would be a must, but for most childless young professionals for instance, or people with older children, it's not so important, and the ability to get quick heat in the main room with a gas fire would certainly help.

blueled

If the property has Economy 7, then storage heaters are not that expensive to run. For me, first and foremost is the insulation, then the heating...

luckymannn

Gas central heating is essential, in my opinion.