Checking your Heizkostenabrechnung: step by step
What to look for in your Heizkostenabrechnung (heating-cost statement), and when you can cut your share.
Check that 50 to 70% of the heating costs are billed by consumption. If they are not, you can cut your share by 15%. Note the day the statement arrived, because from then you have twelve months to object.
What to check in the Heizkostenabrechnung
You find most mistakes by comparing these points with your own records.
- 1
Check the consumption share
50 to 70% of the heating costs must be billed by consumption.
- 2
Check the landlord's deadline
The statement must arrive within twelve months after the billing period ends.
- 3
Compare the meter readings
Compare the figures in the statement with your own notes or photos.
- 4
Check the floor area and advance payments
Check that the floor area is right and that all your advance payments are credited.
- 5
Ask to see the invoices
If in doubt, you can ask to see the invoices behind the statement (§ 259 BGB).
- 6
Keep your own deadline
Object in writing, within twelve months of receiving the statement.
Why this matters
Under § 12 Abs. 1 HeizkostenV, you can cut your share by 15% if heat or hot water was not billed by consumption as the rules require.
General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cut the heating costs by 15%?
Yes, you can cut your share by 15% if the landlord did not bill by consumption, for example 100% by floor area or with broken meters (§ 12 HeizkostenV). Tell the landlord about the cut in writing.
By when must the Heizkostenabrechnung arrive?
The Heizkostenabrechnung must arrive no later than 12 months after the billing period ends, so by 31 December 2026 for 2025 (§ 556 Abs. 3 BGB). If it comes later, the landlord can usually not ask for an extra payment, but you still get any credit.
How long do I have to object to the Heizkostenabrechnung?
You have twelve months from the day you receive the Heizkostenabrechnung, and you must object in writing. After that, you normally lose even valid objections.
Also in this topic: Cable TV in your Nebenkosten: what tenants need to know in 2026Register your address after moving in GermanyMietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung: do you have a right?All guides: Operating costs
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