In one sentence
Your landlord has twelve months after the end of the billing period to issue the utility bill (Nebenkostenabrechnung) – if it arrives later, an additional payment claim is generally barred; and even a timely bill is worth checking, because a substantial share of utility bills contain errors.
The deadline roadmap: two twelve-month periods
Two deadlines decide almost everything. The first concerns the landlord: under Section 556 BGB, they must serve you the bill no later than twelve months after the end of the billing period. For a bill covering calendar year 2024, that deadline therefore runs until 31 December 2025. If the landlord misses this twelve-month deadline for the utility bill, they generally can no longer assert an additional payment claim – any credit balance in your favour, however, still stands.
The second deadline is yours: from the moment you receive the bill, you likewise have twelve months to raise objections. Anyone who lets this objection deadline for the utility bill lapse can usually no longer challenge formal errors afterwards. So make a note of the date you received it.
The most common errors
Tenants' associations regularly report that a substantial share of utility bills contain errors. These items come up especially often:
- Wrong allocation formula – for example, billing by number of occupants instead of floor area, without the lease providing for that.
- Non-recoverable items – administrative costs and maintenance or repair costs generally don't belong in a utility-cost statement and may not be passed on to you.
- Wrong billing period – the period covers more or less than twelve months, or overlaps with the previous year.
- Missing heating-cost allocation – a substantial share of heating costs must be billed based on actual consumption; if the allocation is missing or incorrect, that can trigger a right to a reduction.
Even a single one of these points can significantly reduce a high additional payment.
The additional payment seems too high – what now?
If you receive a high additional payment demand, the rule is: don't ignore it, but don't transfer the money hastily either. Two approaches are common. You can pay under reservation to avoid falling into default while keeping your claim for reimbursement open – or you can raise substantiated objections and, for now, not pay the disputed portion. Either way, you should request to inspect the supporting documents: you have the right to see the underlying invoices and contracts. Courts have repeatedly ruled that a bill without traceable supporting documents can be challenged. Without that inspection, a wrong allocation formula often can't even be identified.
Upload the bill and have it checked
You don't have to work through the calculations on your own. Upload the bill to SmartLegalPro: the 60-second initial assessment, no account required, flags suspicious items and deadline issues and shows you where a closer look is worthwhile. If something doesn't add up, use the letter assistant to draft a factual objection letter to your landlord – with a reference to the deadline and a concrete complaint instead of a blanket objection. You get 10 free credits when you register. This doesn't replace legal advice in an individual case, but you go into the conversation informed – and, if needed, the one-click handover connects you with a pre-qualified law firm. More on this under Use Cases.
Looking ahead: start documenting for 2026 now
The next bill is coming for sure – and you can prepare for it today. At the turn of the year, note down your meter readings (heating, hot and cold water) with the date and a photo. Also pay attention to the CO2 cost split: the costs of carbon pricing for heating are divided between tenant and landlord, and the landlord's share should be visible in your bill. Anyone who has this information ready can check the 2026 bill in minutes instead of hours.
