Utility Costs Too High? How to Check Your Bill

Step 1: Compare Costs

The Betriebskostenspiegel from the Deutscher Mieterbund gives you a useful benchmark. Average Nebenkosten in Germany are around €2.17 per square meter per month (as of 2024).

Quick calculation:

Living space (m²) × €2.17 × 12 months = expected annual Nebenkosten. If your bill is significantly higher, this is an initial indication — but not yet proof of errors. Regional differences and building characteristics also matter.

The most expensive items are typically:

• Heating and hot water — by far the largest item (average €1.07/m²)
• Water and wastewater — strongly consumption-dependent
• Property tax — increased in many regions since the 2025 reform
• Building cleaning and garbage collection — often billed too high

Step 2: Check Cost Types

Under § 2 of the Betriebskostenverordnung (BetrKV), there are exactly 17 allocable cost types. Anything else should not appear in the bill. It is worth checking every individual item.

These costs may NOT be allocated:

• Administrative costs — property management, bookkeeping, account management (most common error)
• Maintenance and repairs — defective heating, pipe renovation, facade
• Vacancy costs — empty apartments may not be passed on to other tenants
• One-off costs — e.g. pest control, tree felling (only if recurring)

Tip: The fine print can also be revealing. Sometimes non-allocable costs are hidden under harmless labels such as "other operating costs" or "building service".

Step 3: Check the Allocation Key

Operating costs are distributed among tenants using a key — usually by living space. The key must be agreed in the lease or be clear from the bill.

What is worth checking:

• Is the total area correct? — If the total living space in the bill is stated higher than it actually is, your own share is too small. If it is stated lower, you pay too much.
• Is the apartment size correct? — Comparing the stated area with the lease can be worthwhile. Deviations above 10% can justify an objection.
• Commercial areas separated? — Is there a shop or office in the building? Commercial use often causes higher costs (more garbage, more water) and must be billed separately where required.

Step 4: Check Heating Costs Separately

Heating costs are the largest individual item and are subject to special rules. The Heizkostenverordnung (HeizkostenV) requires:

• At least 50% based on actual consumption
• At most 70% based on consumption (the rest by area)
• Hot water must be shown separately

If these rules are breached, you can reduce your share of heating costs by 15% (§ 12 HeizkostenV). For an average apartment, that alone can amount to more than €100.

Step 5: Check Formal Requirements

Even if the figures are correct — if required information is missing, the bill may be formally ineffective. This means the entire additional demand may fall away.

A correct bill must contain:

• The billing period (maximum 12 months)
• The total costs by cost type
• The allocation key used
• The calculation of your share
• The deduction of your advance payments already made

If even one of these details is missing, you can reject the bill as formally defective.

Found an Error? Common Procedure

1. If appropriate, make the additional payment under reservation — by the due date stated in the bill or lease, with a note on the transfer
2. Object in writing — name specific errors, preferably by registered mail with return receipt (sample objection)
3. Request inspection of receipts — tenants have the right to inspect original receipts (§ 259 BGB)
4. Enter the deadline in your calendar — 12 months from receipt; after that, objections are generally excluded unless you were not responsible for the delay (all deadlines at a glance)

Important: Even if the additional payment has already been transferred, the money can still be reclaimed. As long as the 12-month objection period is running, an objection is possible — payment and the right to object are legally separate. A payment "under reservation" preserves the repayment claim under § 812 BGB. Its limitation is governed in particular by §§ 195 and 199 BGB; accrual and knowledge of the claim matter. More on this in our objection guide.

Unsure? Have Your Bill Checked

You feel something is wrong but do not know exactly what? NeKo Check reviews your Nebenkostenabrechnung automatically — every single item, every allocation key, every deadline. If errors are found, you receive an understandable report with a finished objection letter.

Frequently Asked Questions