Additional costs: Heat your landlord!|observer

The ancillary cost accounting applies to many tenants like a shock, and the costs rise from year to year.In the meantime, they amount to an average of 13 percent of gross areas, in 1996 it was not yet eleven percent.This year the ancillary costs will reach a new record for heating oil due to the horrendous increased prices for heating oil - clever shopping is therefore paid for (see article on the subject of “buying heating oil: do not burn any coal!”).However, it is crucial when and in what amount the landlord bought the heating oil.Anyone who still fires heating oil that they have already stored in the previous year must not continue to calculate the current price for the tenants."In any case, the tenants have the right to view the invoice documents and the distribution key," explains Regula Mühlebach, Managing Director of the Swiss Tenant Association.The tenants must also be informed about the initial and final stock in the oil tank at the beginning and at the end of the billing period, the new purchases during this time and the paid price per 100 liters of heating oil.Unfortunately, all of this is "terribly complicated - people don't understand the calculation in many cases," says Ruedi Spöndlin from the tenant association's hotline.Only the consumption can be controlled relatively easily.If you do not trust your landlord, you can ask heating oil prices and heating dire day figures (see side items "Additional costs: What landlords and tenants is entitled").

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Only what is in the rental agreement counts

The sharp view of the additional cost calculation is not only worthwhile because of the heating and hot water costs: Often posts appear that do not belong to the invoice.Attention, for example, in the case of garden maintenance: This only has to be paid if the rental agreement expressly provides for gardening costs for gardening.Basically, what is not mentioned in the rental agreement must not be charged either.

The difference between maintenance and repair is also important.In this way, costs for service contracts for washing machines, intercom systems or heating systems can generally be passed on - but only if they only serve the maintenance and do not include repairs.Repairs or renovations of washing machines or heating systems are investments, and according to the law, these are mandatory with the net interest rate.This also includes expenses for a new fire extinguisher or a lawn mower as well as planting with new trees or bushes.Insurance premiums, taxes and fees have lost nothing in the additional costs- for example, premiums for building insurance as well as rainwater discharge or sidewalk fees.As a rule, a correct additional cost calculation is limited to expenses for heating and hot water including cleaning and maintenance, the lighting of common rooms, costs for the housekeeper, for staircase cleaning as well as cable connection fees for TV and radio.

There is nothing to shake on the oil price

There are no uniform regulations as to when the billing must be made by the tenants;Tenants who pay their additional costs a account have an annual billing.The landlord's claims expire after five years.

"The most important thing is to compare the bill with that of the previous year," recommends expert Ruedi Spöndlin.«If there are larger differences or new items, a precise review is necessary.»If the landlord adheres to exaggerated or nonsensical additional costs, affected tenants can contact the regional arbitration boards.The procedure is free.However, no herb has grown against the increased oil price.Many tenants who pay aconto payments every month will have to pay steeply.The Federal Supreme Court will soon decide how much the invoice may exceed the acontor calculations already achieved (see side items "Additional costs: What landlords and tenants is entitled").It should be even more bad next year: currently 100 liters of heating oil will already cost around CHF 90 - almost twice as much as a year ago.

Book tip

Peter Zihlmann, Martin Jakob: «Rentrecht».The observer standard work so that tenants know where to go.5.Edition, 2004, 272 pages, 32 francs. Erhältlich beim Beobachter-Buchverlag, Telefon 043 44453 07, Fax 043 44453 09