ManaWGOpen the appUtilities, electricity and internet in a flat share
After the rent, Nebenkosten (utility and service charges such as heating, water and waste), electricity and internet are the biggest items in a flat-share budget in Germany. Because usually one person holds the contract, questions come up: who pays what, and what happens with back payments? This guide covers the usual solutions.
By Abubakar Abditube (ManaWG) · Published · Updated
Nebenkosten: advance payment and annual statement
You normally pay Nebenkosten as a monthly advance payment (Vorauszahlung). The following year the landlord sends an annual statement (Abrechnung), at the latest twelve months after the end of the billing period. If it arrives later, the landlord can generally no longer demand a back payment. The statement can lead to a back payment or a credit. Split it the way you split the advance payment, among the people who lived in the flat during the billing period. If someone moves in or out in between, work it out pro rata by month.
Example: back payment when people change
The statement for last year shows a back payment of €360. A and B lived in the flat all year, C moved out after eight months and D moved in for the last four. That makes 12 + 12 + 8 + 4 = 36 person-months, or €10 per month: A and B pay €120 each, C pays €80 and D pays €40. A credit is shared out the same way.
Per head or by room size?
Per head is the simplest and usual when rooms are about the same size. If they differ clearly, split by area. Example: rooms of 20, 16 and 14 square metres give shares of 40, 32 and 28 per cent. With €300 of Nebenkosten, the three pay €120, €96 and €84. Many flat shares mix the two: heating by area, everything else per head. How to split the rent itself by room size is shown in the rent split calculator.
Electricity and gas
If the contract is in one person’s name, that person pays for everyone at first. An equal split is usual, because individual consumption is hard to measure. Someone who uses a lot more than the rest, for example through a home server or a large appliance, can agree a surcharge. Set the monthly instalment up as a fixed cost so that nothing gets forgotten.
Internet and streaming
Split internet equally. For streaming subscriptions, agree who uses them: if only two of four people watch, only those two pay. In ManaWG’s shared expenses you choose who is involved in each expense and set up recurring costs as fixed costs.
Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting fee)
The Rundfunkbeitrag, the German public broadcasting fee, is charged per dwelling, not per person. In a flat share only one person pays it, and the cost is split among everyone. Rules can change, so check the current position with the Beitragsservice. More is in the guide to the Rundfunkbeitrag in a shared flat.
The monthly statement as an overview
A monthly overview shows what was spent in total and who owes whom. ManaWG creates it automatically: the total, expenses by category and transfer suggestions. It arrives by email at the start of the month, and anyone can switch that off.
Think of the statement when someone moves out
The Nebenkosten statement often arrives months after someone moves out. Agree when they leave how the departing person bears their share of a later back payment or receives a credit, and swap contact details. Some flat shares keep back a small amount until the statement has arrived.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the back payment if someone has moved out?
Everyone who lived in the flat during the billing period, pro rata by month. The person who moved out pays for the months they were there.
Can recurring costs be booked automatically?
Yes. In ManaWG you set up rent, internet or electricity as fixed costs. They are booked as an expense automatically at an interval of whole months.
Sources (as of 29 October 2026)
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