Operating costs in the house: saving on utility costs – list of key points.

Operating costs – You want to buy an apartment, but the operating costs are too high for you? There is a solution! The operating costs of a property, such as a condominium, can be apportioned to the tenant. But which of these operating costs can be apportioned and what do you have to pay yourself as a landlord? Read all about the operating costs of your next property here!

Operating costs: statement and allocation

Setting up the operating costs is easy if you know the associated law. They are set by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Here we have listed all the operating costs.

These are, in brief:

• Current public charges
• Water supply
• Drainage
• Heating system and fuels
• Hot water system
• Connected heating and hot water supply systems
• Passenger or freight elevator
• Street cleaning and garbage disposal
• Building cleaning and vermin control
• Garden maintenance
• Lighting
• Chimney cleaning
• Property and liability insurance
• Janitor
• Community antenna system and broadband
• Operation of the facilities for laundry care

1. current public charges

The ongoing public charges of a property are part of the operating costs. This also includes the land transfer tax, which must be paid no matter in which location you buy and varies depending on the federal state.

Ongoing public costs include:

• Real estate transfer tax

2. water supply

The water supply of a building is also part of the operating costs.

These include:

• Water consumption costs
• Basic fees
• Costs of renting, calibrating & using water meters
• Calculation & allocation costs
• Costs for maintenance of water quantity regulators
• Costs for operating an in-house water supply system
• Costs for operating an in-house water treatment plant

3. drainage

The cost of drainage plays an equally important role in operating costs.

These include:

• Fees for house and property drainage
• Cost of operating a corresponding non-public facility
• Cost of operation of a drainage pump

4. heating system and fuels

The costs of the heating system and the fuels can also be apportioned to the tenants. Here, four different types of costs for heat procurement are to be considered, on the one hand the operation of the central heating system including the exhaust gas system, the operation of the central fuel supply system, the independent commercial supply of heat, and the cleaning and maintenance of floor heating systems and individual gas furnaces.

The cost of operating the central heating system, including the exhaust system;

• Cost of consumed fuels and their delivery
• Operating current costs
• Costs of operation, monitoring and maintenance of the plant
• Costs of regular inspection of operational readiness/operational safety including adjustment by a qualified person
• Cleaning of the plant and the operating room
• Costs of measurements according to the Federal Immission Control Act
• Rental costs
• Cost of using consumption metering equipment (calibration, calculation & apportionment).

The cost of operating the central fuel supply system:

• Cost of consumed fuels and their delivery
• Operating current costs
• Monitoring costs
• Costs of cleaning the plant and the operating room

The cost of independently commercial supply of heat:

• Fee for heat supply
• Cost of operating the associated building facilities

The cost of cleaning and maintenance of floor heating systems and gas single fireplaces:

• Cost of removing water deposits and combustion residues in the plant.
• Costs of regular testing of operational readiness and operational safety
• Cost of hiring by a specialist
• Costs of measurements according to the Federal Immission Control Act

5. hot water system

Hot water system costs include three broad areas, the cost of operating the central hot water supply system, the cost of independently supplying hot water commercially, and the cost of cleaning and maintaining hot water equipment.

The cost of operation of the central hot water supply system:

• Water supply costs
• Water heating costs

The cost of independently commercial supply of hot water:

• Charge for the supply of hot water
• Cost of operating the associated building facilities

The cost of cleaning and maintenance of water heaters:

• Cost of removing water deposits and combustion residues inside the device.
• Costs of regular inspection of operational readiness and operational safety, adjustment by a specialist

6. connected heating and hot water supply systems

Associated plants also incur operating costs. They are to be compared with section 4 of the heating systems and section 2 of the water supply.

Thus, costs are incurred for:

• Central heating systems
• The independently commercial supply of heat
• The connected floor heating and hot water supply systems

7. passenger or freight elevator

Is there a passenger elevator in the building where your condominium is located? Great, because not only the walking, but also the costs are taken off your hands.

Ongoing costs include:

• Operating current costs
• Costs of supervision, operation, monitoring and maintenance of the plant
• Costs of regular inspection of operational readiness and operational safety, adjustment by a specialist
• Cost of cleaning the plant

8. street cleaning and garbage disposal

Also, do not forget about cleaning in front of the house, as well as the removal of waste.

The costs incurred for street cleaning include:

• Fees for public street cleaning
• Cost of corresponding non-public measure

Waste disposal costs incurred include:

• Fees for garbage collection
• Costs of corresponding non-public measures
• Costs of operation of garbage compressors, garbage chutes, garbage extraction systems, operation of garbage collection systems.
• Calculation and distribution costs

9. cleaning of buildings and vermin control

Woodworm has infested your building? Don’t worry, the costs for pest control can also be passed on to the tenant.

Costs include:

• Costs of cleaning the parts of the building used jointly by the residents (entrances, corridors, staircases, cellars, floor rooms, laundry rooms, elevator).

10. garden maintenance

A garden also needs to be maintained. If this cannot be done yourself, a gardener must be called in.

Costs include:

• Costs of maintenance of horticultural areas including renewal of plants and woody plants.
• Maintenance of playgrounds, including the replacement of sand and maintenance of squares, accesses and driveways.

11. lighting

Electricity for electrical appliances, especially lighting, is one of the highest costs in a building.

These costs include:

• Cost of electricity for outdoor lighting and lighting of the parts of the building shared by the residents

12. chimney cleaning

The cost of chimney cleaning includes:

• Sweeping fees according to the applicable fee schedule

13. property and liability insurance

Every house should be insured, for which there are running costs.

These costs include:

• Costs of insuring the building against fire, storm, water and other natural hazards.
• Glass insurance costs
• Cost of liability insurance (oil tank, elevator, building)

14. janitor

The janitor is like a janitor responsible for your building and a contact person for the tenants. But the numerous tasks of a janitor must be remunerated.

Costs include:

• The remuneration, social contributions and all pecuniary benefits for the janitor
• Insofar as work is carried out by the janitor, costs for labor services in accordance with numbers 2 to 10 and 16 may not be applied

15. community antenna system and broadband

Today, we can’t imagine life without television and wi-fi. Either a community antenna system or broadband must be paid for.

These incurred community antenna system costs include:

• Operating current costs
• Cost of periodic testing of their operational readiness, adjustment by a specialist.
• User fee for an antenna system not belonging to the building
• Fees incurred for cable retransmission under the Copyright Act

These broadband network costs incurred include:

• Cost according to community antenna installation
• Ongoing monthly basic charges for broadband connections

16. operation of the facilities for laundry care

In many houses there are laundry rooms or washing facilities for residents in the basement. This causes costs.

These include:

• Operating current costs
• Costs of monitoring, maintenance and cleaning of facilities
• Costs of regular testing of their operational readiness and operational safety
• Water supply costs (see section 2)

The next step: technical testing

You’ve already subjected your property to a commercial audit? Great, then let’s move on to the technical inspection. This is not about the price, but about the condition of your apartment, single-family home or apartment building. Here you can find out everything you need to know about the inspection of your own and the common property before you buy your first apartment.