As of: March 17, 2024, 4:00 p.m
By: Carina Blumenroth
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If you live in rent, you have to pay the utility bills regularly.
But this is often wrong - how you can defend yourself against back payments.
Rents, especially in big cities, are high and living space is limited.
If you are currently looking for a new apartment, you should calculate how much of your income you can spend on rent.
A rule of thumb based on gross annual income can give you some guidance.
Once you have decided on an apartment, you not only pay the basic rent, but also the additional costs.
You will receive a utility bill from your landlord.
Sometimes mistakes creep in.
How to check your utility bill.
Point of dispute between tenant and landlord
The utility bill can be incorrect, which is something you should pay attention to.
© R. Rebmann/Blickwinkel/Imago
Additional costs can be a point of contention between tenants and landlords.
A large part of the costs are made up of heating and hot water, according to the
Finanztip.de
portal .
However, many utility bills are incorrect - tenants can save money if they check the bill.
Around 90 percent of invoices have errors; on average, tenants could save 320 euros by checking them.
However, simply not paying the additional payment demands on your own is not a good idea.
If contributions amounting to one month's rent or more are outstanding, you can be terminated,
Stiftung Warentest
informs .
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What you can check when billing additional costs
Typical errors creep into utility bills.
Here's what you should pay attention to:
Hot water:
If the billing has been calculated or estimated according to a formula, you can reduce the item by a flat rate of 15 percent,
Finanztip.de
informs .
Billing is based on hot water consumption.
Comparison with rental agreement:
Place your rental agreement and the utility bill next to each other and compare.
If you notice groups of costs that are included in the billing but not in the contract, you do not have to pay them.
Delay:
The landlord usually only has twelve months after the end of the billing period (this often means the calendar year) to demand additional payment.
If you receive the claim later, you do not have to pay it,
Stiftung Warentest informs.
Billing and rental period:
You only moved into the rental apartment in the middle of the year, but should you pay the additional costs for the entire year?
That is not allowed.
Your landlord may only charge you for costs that fall within the rental period.
Vacancy in an apartment building:
If an apartment in an apartment building is empty for a longer period of time, the landlord has to bear the additional costs.
These may not be passed on to the other additional rental costs.
To check the utility bill, you can view the original receipts for the costs.
However, you are not entitled to receive copies of the documents.
Things can look different if the landlord lives far away,
Finanztip.de
informs .
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Common errors in utility bills
The
tenant assistance association
puts together common errors in utility bills:
One-off costs for repairs or installations.
Incorrect information about square meters by the landlord.
Double billing of items by the landlord.
The cleaning company comes several times a week.
Likewise, property management costs or the flat rate administration fee may not be charged.
Repair costs for the house or apartment may not be passed on to tenants,
Finanztip.de
informs .
If bank fees are listed in the utility bill, you should also pay attention.
This also applies if these cost items are included in your rental agreement.
If you have already paid these wrongly, you can claim back the costs you have paid for the past three years.
If you are unsure whether the utility bill is correct, you can contact a local tenants' association, although membership is required if you want to take advantage of this.