I understand the thing "Nebenkosten" include the heat, electricity and sewage usage.
However, may i know is it only count on my usage? Or sharing with others for the usage of lights in the building common area, the washing machine or etc.?
Please advise. Thank you.
B.
Ours includes heating, water, electricity in the common areas, elevator maintenance, grounds maintenance for the common grounds, and the caretaker/hauswart, and the cable fee for the cable that runs to the building. This last one is a bit of a quirk, so I won't go into detail here.
The fee is proportional to the size of the flat. Smaller flats pay a smaller portion than the larger ones, which tend to have more occupants and therefore use more of the common areas (or so the theory goes). About once a year we receive a settlement statement, which details whether we need to pay more or will get a refund.
In many buildings the washing machine is card or coin-operated, so you pay for what you use.
Telephone line/Internet connection - plus you may have separate one off cost to set up/ connect.
TV Licence
Your own electricity usuage for your flat/apartment
Often parking space if available is extra charge
If there is a common laundry room, usually there is a way that one pays separately. In last instance for us, we had a key thing to get it to work and then magically the amount of usuage added to our electric bill.
Somewhere else had a plastic card that one topped up at garage/shop.
Another place "honesty cash box" - charges clearly stated according to heat of wash and another price for minutes of dryer, very reasonable cost. Only 3 homes & one person empty every so often, worked no problem in small complex.
Cleaner - if you wish a cleaner for your flat, then you pay. Cleaning of common parts - part of "Nebenkosten".
Water/Sewage was always in our experience part of "Nebenkosten" - but as ThreeWishes said, ask someone to explain what exactly included. Note as she said about once a year a statement, letting you know if more to pay or refund, as it cannot be exact.
Building upkeep and insurance is on the owner, which is why the NK is higher if you own rather than rent (we bought the apartment that we used to rent, so we know)
Tom
My building got 5 floors, 3 flats of each. Size from 40m2 to 60m2. Usually accommodating 2 people maximum.
However, discussing with one girl on top floor. Her neighbour got 4 people living there. Sometimes 6. And they wash few hours everyday down there with no separate meters.
That's why I have this question what the thing includes. May be I need to check the tenant agreement.
I wonder why they could allow to live so many people there.
Number of occupants doesn't matter.
People on higher floors also pay more because of the elevator (if there is one).
So, it all sounds normal.
Tom
I found out it's not normal now. Because the agent told me they have changed the charging system from Ankonto to Paschal. So they now charge me a lump sum without a breakdown.
And I now try to find a solution to appeal because accordingly to MV, if they change that the rent may have to be deducted which they didn't.
Is it common that expenses like water and heating are just subdivided by square meters, and no actual usage?
Living in Italy, Germany, UK, I always had meters to establish who used what.
I thought this was a problem of old buildings (no meters), but I saw that new ones tend to do the same thing.
Can be nice if you have a big family, annoying when you are on your own......