What 'bills included' (gastos incluidos) really means in a rental

Terms used

• Gastos incluidos — Gastos incluidos means bills included in the rent, but which bills it covers depends on the lease.
• Comunidad — The comunidad is the building's shared-costs fee, paid for stairs, lifts, gardens and similar common areas.
• Titular — The titular is the person whose name holds the supply contracts for water, electricity, gas or internet.
• IBI — The IBI is the yearly local property tax on a home, normally paid by the owner.

Key rules

• Written list: Only the lease terms are binding, so get the included supplies listed in the contract.
• Caps: A monthly allowance or an excluded air conditioning clause can leave you paying extra, so read it before signing.
• Titular: Confirm whether the landlord or the main tenant holds the supply contracts and whether you pay a fixed sum or a share.

Cap clauses vary a lot between landlords, so have the exact wording of your lease checked before you sign.

What "gastos incluidos" means

It means less than it sounds. The phrase is not standardised, so only the lease decides what you get. Ads often use it without saying which supplies are covered.

Usually it means the community fees (comunidad) are included. Often water is too. Sometimes electricity, gas and internet are as well.

Ask for the list in writing

Ask for the included items to be written into the lease, supply by supply. A verbal promise or an ad headline will not help you in a dispute. If the landlord refuses to list them, treat "included" as unconfirmed.

Who holds the contracts

In this arrangement the landlord or the main tenant normally stays the titular, the holder of the supply contracts. You then pay either a fixed amount or a share of the bills within your rent. Find out which one applies. A share can change from month to month. A fixed amount should stay the same.

Property tax (IBI) and the community fee are normally paid by the landlord in this arrangement.

Check for caps

Limits are fairly common in room rentals and in furnished or short-term lets, though not universal. They usually look like this:

• A monthly allowance, such as a set euro amount or a number of kWh of electricity, with any excess charged to you.
• Air conditioning and heating excluded, or charged separately.

A cap clause should state the amount or the excluded items. It should also say how the excess is calculated and proved, for example from meter readings or bills. Without such a clause, a landlord generally cannot add charges beyond what the lease states.

Read this clause before you sign. If it is missing or vague, ask for it to be added or clarified. The checklist below covers the questions to ask, and the FAQ answers common doubts.

Checklist

• Ask which supplies "gastos incluidos" covers: water, electricity, gas, internet and community fees.

• Check whether the lease sets a monthly allowance, such as a euro amount or kWh for electricity.

• Ask how any excess over the allowance is calculated and proved.

• Read the cap clause before signing and ask for changes if it is missing or unclear.

Frequently asked questions

Who normally pays the community fee and IBI when bills are included?

The landlord normally pays the community fee (comunidad) and the IBI, the yearly property tax, when bills are included. The tenant pays a fixed amount or a share within the rent for the other supplies. If the ad does not say this, ask for it in writing.

Can a landlord charge extra if I use more than the included amount?

Only if the lease has a clause allowing it. Without one, a landlord generally cannot add charges beyond what the lease states. Where a clause exists, it should give the amount or the excluded items and how the excess is calculated and proved.

Are air conditioning and heating covered by bills included?

Not always, because some leases exclude them or charge them separately. This is more common in room rentals and furnished or short-term lets. Look for an exclusion clause and ask the landlord directly before you sign.