Once a year a letter arrives that many tenants fear: the utility bill. Learn to read it calmly, understand typical words from rental contracts, and use adjective endings without an article, as in flat adverts.
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| der Mietvertrag, Mietverträge | rental contract |
| die Miete, -n | rent |
| die Kaltmiete, -n | basic rent (without heating and utilities) |
| die Warmmiete, -n | rent including heating and utilities |
| die Nebenkosten (Pl.) | service and utility charges |
| die Nebenkostenabrechnung, -en | yearly utility bill, service charge statement |
| die Vorauszahlung, -en | advance payment |
| die Nachzahlung, -en | additional payment |
| das Guthaben, - | credit (money back) |
| die Heizkosten (Pl.) | heating costs |
| der Hausmeister, - / die Hausmeisterin, -nen | caretaker |
| die Hausverwaltung, -en | property management company |
| der Mieter, - / die Mieterin, -nen | tenant |
| die Kündigung, -en | notice (of termination) |
| kündigen | to give notice, cancel |
| die Kündigungsfrist, -en | notice period |
| der Beleg, -e | receipt, voucher |
| einsehen (sieht ein) | to inspect, look at |
| verteilen | to distribute, share out |
| der Mieterverein, -e | tenants' association |
| der Mitgliedsbeitrag, Mitgliedsbeiträge | membership fee |
| die Kaution, -en | deposit |
| laut (+ Dat.) | according to |
| jährlich | yearly, annual |
| tatsächlich | actual, real |
| die Rate, -n | instalment |
When there is no article before an adjective, the adjective itself has to show the case and gender. So it takes almost the same endings as the definite article: der → -er, das → -es, dem → -em. This happens in adverts, headlines and formal texts, with uncountable nouns and with plurals.
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | großer Balkon | helle Küche | neues Bad | ruhige Mieter |
| Accusative | großen Balkon | helle Küche | neues Bad | ruhige Mieter |
| Dative | großem Balkon | heller Küche | neuem Bad | ruhigen Mietern |
| Genitive | großen Balkons | heller Küche | neuen Bads | ruhiger Mieter |
There is one exception: in the masculine and neuter genitive the ending is -en, not -es, because the noun itself already shows the genitive with -s: trotz hohen Verbrauchs.
Flat adverts are full of these endings: Helle 2-Zimmer-Wohnung mit großem Balkon, ruhige Lage, moderne Einbauküche, Haustiere nach Absprache. You also need them after numbers and after words like einige, mehrere, viele, wenige: drei helle Zimmer, mehrere kleine Reparaturen, viele neue Mieter, bei rechtlichen Fragen.
The greeting at the end of every formal letter is a good memory aid: mit + dative plural → Mit freundlichen Grüßen. Uncountable nouns work in the same way: warmes Wasser, frische Luft, mit warmem Wasser, bei schlechtem Wetter. After the uninflected words viel and wenig, the adjective also takes these endings: viel heißes Wasser, wenig neue Informationen.
Contracts and bills use a formal style with many nouns and fixed phrases. Do not try to understand every word; look for the key information first: who, what, how much and by when. Useful phrases: laut Mietvertrag (according to the rental contract), gemäß § 5 (in accordance with section 5), zzgl. (plus), inkl. (including), monatlich im Voraus (monthly in advance), bis spätestens (by … at the latest).
| Word or abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| KM / Kaltmiete | rent without heating and other charges |
| NK / Nebenkosten | service and utility charges |
| WM / Warmmiete | rent including heating and service charges (usually without electricity) |
| Abrechnungszeitraum | billing period |
| Umlageschlüssel | how costs are shared, e.g. by floor space |
Tap the words in the right order.
You have received your yearly utility bill with a high additional payment. Write an email to the property management (80–100 words): refer to the bill and your flat, say what surprises you, ask to see the receipts, and ask whether you can pay in instalments.
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, vielen Dank für die Nebenkostenabrechnung für das Jahr 2025. Ich wohne in der Lindenstraße 8, 2. Stock links. Laut Abrechnung soll ich eine Nachzahlung von 240 Euro leisten. Die Heizkosten sind fast doppelt so hoch wie im letzten Jahr, obwohl wir nicht mehr geheizt haben. Deshalb möchte ich gern die Belege einsehen. Wann wäre ein Termin möglich? Außerdem möchte ich fragen, ob ich den Betrag in zwei Raten bezahlen kann. Vielen Dank im Voraus. Mit freundlichen Grüßen Sneha Kulkarni
Most tenants pay a monthly advance for the service charges (Nebenkosten or Betriebskosten): water, heating, rubbish collection, cleaning of the stairwell and so on. Once a year the landlord or property management sends a statement (Nebenkostenabrechnung). If you paid more than the real costs, you get a credit (Guthaben); if you paid less, you have to pay the difference (Nachzahlung), and your monthly advance may go up.
Check the statement calmly: Is the billing period correct? Is the size of your flat correct? Are there costs that are new or much higher than last year? As a tenant you can usually ask to see the receipts. Electricity is often paid directly to your own provider and is then not part of this statement. Your rental contract contains the details, including the notice period, so read it carefully and keep it in a safe place. For legal questions, local tenants' associations (Mietervereine) advise their members, and consumer advice centres can also help.
Related: Renting in Germany · Your deposit rights · Letter and email writing trainer
