Service charge statement

How it works

1. Set the accounting period. The deadline is worked out from the day it ends.
2. List the costs, one per line: “Heizung | 4820,50 | area”. Leave the key off to use the default.
3. Put in the floor areas, occupants or meter readings for whichever keys you used.
4. Enter the advance payments, then download. The statement says whether the deadline has passed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the deadline, and what happens if I miss it?

Twelve months from the end of the accounting period, under § 556(3) BGB. If the statement reaches the tenant later than that, the landlord can normally no longer demand a back-payment — but still has to pay out a credit. That asymmetry is why this page works the date out and prints it on the sheet rather than leaving you to count.

Which apportionment key should I use?

Whatever the tenancy agreement says. Where it says nothing, § 556a(1) BGB apportions by floor area, which is why that is the default here. Heating and hot water are the exception: those largely have to be apportioned by consumption under the Heizkostenverordnung.

Why does the statement have to look like this?

Because the Federal Court of Justice requires four things for a statement to be formally valid: an ordered compilation of the total costs, the apportionment key stated and explained, the calculation of this tenant's share, and the deduction of the advance payments. A statement missing one of them is invalid whatever the arithmetic says, so all four are on the sheet and none is optional.

Which costs may I pass on at all?

Only the ones listed in the Betriebskostenverordnung. Maintenance and repairs are the classic mistake — a new boiler, a repaired lock and the landlord's administration are not operating costs, and including them is the commonest ground for a tenant's objection. This page does not decide that for you, and it is not legal advice: whether a cost may be passed on, and whether your agreement fixes a different key, are questions for your agreement or for somebody qualified.

How do I enter heating that is split between consumption and floor area?

As two lines with different keys, for example “Heating, 70% by meter | 9.975,00 | meter” and “Heating, 30% by area | 4.275,00”, and fill in the building’s and the flat’s metered units. Each line takes its own fraction, so the tenant can follow both parts. The page does not split the heating bill for you: enter the two amounts as your heating bill divides them.

Does this work outside Germany?

The arithmetic does — costs, a key, a share, advance payments. The deadline and the statutory references are German. If you are a landlord elsewhere, the sheet is still a clear statement; just ignore the § 556 line, and check your own deadline.

Is it free?

Yes, and nothing of ours is printed on the sheet, on any plan: it is a document you send or hand over as it is.