Service Costs
Generally, you will be charged for service costs on a monthly basis. According to the German Rental Association, you will typically be charged around €2.82 per square metre of the accommodation for service costs. Service costs include things such as: water, heating, rubbish removal, chimney sweeping, cleaning the property, the drainage and sewer system, tax and liability insurance. Except for heating, gas, water and electricity, these service costs are classed as 'cold' costs (kalten Betriebskosten) in Germany. You will not be charged separately for these cold costs; they are calculated by the landlord and included in the basic rent.
Calculating the 'cold' service costs can be done in one of two ways, either based on the size of the living space, or on the number of tenants living in the property. Again, the landlord will calculate these costs and include them in the basic rental price. You do not need to pay them separately, nor worry about how they have been worked out!
When you are quoted a rental price, for example in a property advertisement, it is important to check which service costs have been included in this price. Often the 'cold' rent (Kaltmiete) is given, which refers only to the basic rental price of the property and includes no extra costs. Typically, heating, electricity and gas costs will be calculated separately. These service costs are classed as 'warm' costs, because they are necessary to make the property inhabitable. A 'warm' rent (Warmmiete) will include one or more of these service costs.
Electricity costs are not usually included in the service costs, nor are gas costs if each tenant in a block of apartments has a separate gas meter.
The way in which your service costs are calculated will depend on whether or not each tenant has their own meter for each service, to record their exact usage. If each tenant has a separate meter they will pay only for what they have used. Otherwise, costs for water usage will be calculated based on the size of the property, and the number of tenants living there. Heating costs are calculated in a similar manner (recent price increases in the cost of energy have resulted in higher 'warm' rent charges). Electricity usage will always be separately calculated because it is impossible to accurately estimate exactly how much each separate apartment will use based only on its size and the number of tenants. Electricity which is used for communal areas, such as to light the staircases in the house, is included in the basic rent.
For further information see Legal Issues Surrounding Service Costs and Landlord Obligations.
