When making the decision of where to live for the upcoming academic year, one of the most important factors to consider is overall monthly cost for your apartment. Aside from the monthly rental rate for your bedroom, there will be additional expenses and fees associated, such as utilities and parking. It is key that you understand how much these extra fees add to your total expense for the month.
Read Next: 10 Additional Living Costs for Students Renting Apartments Near UMD
At Rambler, we have guided students in their housing search to find the fit that feels like home. To clarify the leasing process and costs associated with signing a lease at a College Park student apartment, we’ve written this article to break down the utility costs and how they’re determined.
For most student housing apartments, utilities are included in your rental rate aside from electricity and water usage. These include internet, cable, gas, sewage and trash removal.
This article answers FAQs like:
- How are utility costs calculated?
- What is the average cost of utilities?
- How will utility costs be billed?
How are utility costs calculated?
Electricity and water usage in each apartment are individually submetered, meaning that they tally up the bill for an apartment unit and split the cost among the tenants. Residents are often billed on a monthly basis.
Depending on the apartment’s policies in place, the costs are evenly split among roommates, but can sometimes be based on each resident’s individual usage.
What is the average monthly cost of utilities?
Once utility costs have been determined and split among roommates, the cost ranges from $40 to $100 depending on usage, amount of roommates and the specific apartment community.
This varies between apartments and can sometimes be more or less than the range provided. Be sure to ask the properties leasing team what the average cost of utilities is when touring.
Read Next: 15 Questions to Ask When Touring an Apartment in College Park
How will utility costs be billed?
Utility costs are often billed separately from rental rates. Most of these off-campus apartments charge the utility fees at the end of each month. This amount is billed through a third party service, and depends on usage.
For example, Rambler utilities will be billed monthly using Conservice. This will divide the total evenly between all of your roommates. This way, it feels fair and there is a decrease in how many times money changes hands, simplifying the process.
Read Next: 5 Benefits to Signing Your Lease Early in College Park
We hope this article has presented you with information about monthly utility costs associated with living in an off-campus apartment in College Park. If you have any questions about utility costs or student housing, please contact our Rambler leasing team!
Allison
Allison is a Property Marketing Intern for Rambler College Park. She's a student at the University of Maryland, majoring in Marketing and Management. Her favorite drink to order is a vanilla iced latte!
Published On: May 4, 2026
Last Updated On: May 8, 2026
