Kaltmiete, Warmmiete and the Nebenkosten settlement
Cold rent, warm rent and the yearly Nebenkostenabrechnung: what utilities landlords may charge, the settlement audit checklist and back-payment rights.
Last updated: July 13, 2026
What is the difference between Kaltmiete and Warmmiete?
Kaltmiete is the bare rent for the space; Warmmiete adds the Nebenkosten prepayment covering building costs (heating, water, waste, caretaker, property tax). You budget on Warmmiete PLUS your own electricity, internet and Rundfunkbeitrag. The yearly Nebenkostenabrechnung settles prepayments against actual costs - errors favor auditing: roughly half contain them.
What this guide covers
What Nebenkosten legally may include
The Betriebskostenverordnung's closed list: heating/hot water (the big one, consumption-metered), cold water/sewage, property tax (yes, yours to carry), waste, building electricity/cleaning, caretaker, garden, elevator, building insurance, chimney sweep, cable TV legacy (phased out 2024 ⚠️ - check you're not still billed!). NOT chargeable: repairs, management/admin fees, vacancy costs, bank fees - the classic padding entries an audit catches.
Reading the yearly Abrechnung
Arrives within 12 months of the period's end (LATE = back-payment claims void, your credit still due!). Check: correct m² and person-count allocation keys, consumption readings vs estimates, year-over-year jumps per line, and the heating split (50-70% consumption-based by law). Back-payments (Nachzahlung) of €200-800 after cold winters are legitimate; €1,500 surprises usually aren't - request the receipts (Belegeinsicht is your right), then the Mieterverein or an audit service.
Budgeting reality (2026 direction)
Nebenkosten run €2.50-4.50/m²/month with heating - the "second rent". A €900 kalt / 70m² flat realistically totals: ~€1,180 warm + €60-90 electricity + €40 internet + €18.36 Rundfunkbeitrag ≈ €1,300-1,350 true monthly. Apartment hunting on Kaltmiete alone is how newcomers bust budgets (hunting guide).
Frequently asked questions
Prepayment set suspiciously low in the listing?
Classic bait - low Abschlag, brutal first settlement. Ask for the previous year's Abrechnung before signing.
Can the landlord raise the prepayment?
After a settlement showing shortfall, proportionally yes - it tracks reality both directions.
Heating behavior actually matters?
The consumption-metered share means ventilation discipline (Stoßlüften!) and thermostat habits show up in euros - the German winter folk-wisdom is billing math.
Moving out mid-year?
You owe your occupancy fraction; the final settlement follows within the 12 months - keep that German bank account open (leaving guide).
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