Second rent: Current operating costs

Tenants in Germany had to pay an average of EUR 2.28 per square metre per month for operating costs in 2022 and - unlike owners - have little influence on these costs. If all conceivable types of operating costs are added together, the so-called second rent can even be as high as €2.87 per square metre per month.

This is the result of the current operating cost index, which the German Tenants' Association is now presenting based on nationwide billing data for 2022. For an 80 square metre flat, €2,755.20 would have to be paid for all types of operating costs for the billing year 2022.

There are sometimes considerable regional or local price differences, particularly for the operating cost items property tax, water/wastewater and waste collection. This also applies to the costs for heating and hot water. The costs for heating and hot water in the 2022 billing year average €1.07 per square metre per month, peaking at €1.82. The level of costs here is primarily determined by climatic influences, the energy efficiency of the home and significant price differences between heating oil, gas and district heating as well as between the individual gas and district heating suppliers.

"Many tenants have already felt the impact of the energy price explosion in their bills for 2022, with some being faced with four-figure additional payments. However, the immense increases in energy costs are likely to have an even greater impact with the bill for 2023, which tenants must receive by the end of the current year. Despite the energy price brakes in 2023, energy prices are high," says Melanie Weber-Moritz, Federal Director of the German Tenants' Association.

Unlike tenants, homeowners have a greater influence on the development of ancillary costs. Refurbishment measures can make a significant contribution to reducing a home's energy costs. The state offers homeowners generous subsidies, for example for replacing the heating system. The German government has confirmed the continuation of these subsidies.

(Photo: © Jürgen Binaisch / GEZE GmbH, 2023)