You pay Nebenkosten every month but have never received a bill? You are not alone. Many landlords fail to prepare the annual Nebenkostenabrechnung on time — or at all. The problem: without a bill, you do not know whether you are paying too much.
Request a Bill — Free PDF
With this tool, you can create a finished letter that asks the landlord to provide the outstanding bill — with legal references, a deadline, and a note on your right of retention:
Free: request a missing bill
Create a ready-to-use letter asking the landlord to issue the outstanding utility bill.
This letter is a template and is not legal advice. Once you receive the bill, you can use NeKo Check to check it for errors.
Limitation Period: How Far Back Can You Go?
Your claim to receive the bill is subject to the general limitation periods under §§ 195, 199 BGB. The regular three-year period generally begins at year-end only when the claim arose and you knew or should without gross negligence have known the relevant circumstances and the debtor — not as a simplistic "last 3 years" shortcut.
What matters is accrual and knowledge of the claim, not the calendar year of the bill alone.
Tip: It can make sense to request all missing bills from the last few years in the same letter. The longer no bill has been prepared, the larger the potential credit may be.
Bill Received? Now the Review Is Worthwhile
When the bill finally arrives, the work is not over — it is just beginning. The fact that your landlord delayed the bill for years is not a good sign for the care taken in the calculation.
Important: Even with a late bill, you have 12 months from receipt to object to errors (all deadlines at a glance). You do not have to make additional payments on a late bill — but a credit is still owed to you.
Further reading:
Have the Bill Checked Automatically
As soon as you receive the bill, you can have it reviewed by NeKo Check — automatically, every item, with a finished objection letter if errors are found.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my landlord have to prepare a Nebenkostenabrechnung?
Yes, if advance payments for Nebenkosten were agreed in the lease, the landlord is legally required to prepare a bill once a year (§ 556 para. 3 BGB). This duty does not apply only in the case of a Nebenkosten flat rate.
What is the difference between an advance payment and a flat rate?
With an advance payment, a monthly estimated amount is paid and then billed annually. With a flat rate, the amount is fixed — there is no bill and no additional payment or refund. The lease shows what was agreed.
Can I request several past years retroactively?
In principle yes, insofar as the claim to receive the bill has not yet become time-barred. The limitation rules under §§ 195, 199 BGB matter: accrual and knowledge of the claim, not a blanket "last 3 years" rule.
What happens if the landlord never prepares the bill?
Late additional demands are generally excluded — unless the landlord was not responsible for the delay. Your claim to issuance of the bill and payment of an actual credit remains. If the statutory duty to account is already due, you may temporarily withhold ongoing advance payments pursuant to § 273 para. 1 BGB and the Federal Court of Justice judgment of 29 March 2006 (VIII ZR 191/05).
Do I get money back if the bill shows a credit?
Yes — that is a claim to payment of an actual credit shown on the bill. The 12-month exclusion period under § 556 para. 3 BGB does not extinguish a tenant credit. However, the general limitation rules under §§ 195, 199 BGB may still apply; accrual and knowledge of the claim matter.
What should I do after I receive the bill?
A careful review of the bill is worthwhile — about 9 out of 10 contain errors. You have 12 months from receipt to object. NeKo Check reviews the bill automatically and creates a finished objection letter if errors are found.