For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Water and sewage

Usual postings for this part of the settlement

In this area you will find typical cost types that are often recorded as part of the billing for water and wastewater. The overview serves as a guide and helps you to select the appropriate booking categories for your receipts, fee notices or statements.

The list is not exhaustive. Depending on the property, supplier, municipality or contractual agreement, additional cost items may occur or individual items may be designated differently. The decisive factor is always what costs have actually been incurred, whether they are apportionable and to which category they can be assigned in terms of content.

All costs for drainage, drainage, sewage, maintenance, none Repairs

You use this category for costs that have arisen in connection with the drainage of the property and are to be passed on to the tenants.

This includes, in particular, costs for:

  • Sewage fees

  • Dirty water fees

  • Rainwater or rainwater fees

  • Channel fees

  • Fees for house and property drainage

  • Ongoing operating costs of a private drainage system, for example a small sewage treatment plant or collection pit

  • Cost of operating a drainage pump or lifting station

  • Regular maintenance or cleaning costs, insofar as they serve the ongoing operation of the drainage system

  • Fees for house and property drainage

  • Cost of operating a non-public drainage system or drainage pump

When to use this category

Choose this category if you have an invoice, a fee notice or a statement for wastewater, drainage, sewer or dirty water.

Important

Book here only running costs of the drainage. Repairs, maintenance or repairs may not be passed on to the tenants. Section 1 (2) BetrKV expressly excludes maintenance and repair costs from operating costs.

This category does not include, for example:

  • Repair of a sewer pipe

  • Replacement or renewal of a defective dewatering pump

  • Elimination of a burst pipe

  • Rehabilitation of sewer lines

  • One-off connection costs or sewer construction contributions

  • other measures to remedy damage

Such costs are to be borne by the landlord and may not be distributed among the tenants as operating costs.

All costs for water supply incl. maintenance, no repairs

You can use this category for costs that have arisen in connection with the supply of fresh water or cold water to the property and are to be passed on to the tenants.

These include, in particular:

  • Cost of actual water consumption

  • Water meter maintenance costs

  • Basic fees of the water supplier

  • Fresh water delivery costs

  • Running costs of an in-house water supply system

  • Running costs of a water treatment system, e.g. filter system or softening system

  • Treatment materials, e.g. filter material or softeners

  • Maintenance costs for water flow regulators or water supply systems

  • Costs for pressure booster systems, if they are required for the water supply of the building

This category belongs to the area of water and sewage, but only concerns the water supply. Wastewater, drainage and rainwater are booked in the designated category "All costs for drainage, drainage, sewage, maintenance, no repairs".

Do not book in this category

Book no repairs, maintenance or renewals here. For example, the following are not apportionable:

  • Repair of a water pipe

  • Elimination of a burst pipe

  • Replacement of defective system components

  • Renovation or renewal of the water installation

  • First-time purchase or installation of new water meters

  • Water consumption caused by construction work or a burst pipe

Maintenance and repair costs are not operating costs and must therefore not be passed on to the tenants.

Additional costs due to a burst water pipe are also not considered regular water consumption and are therefore generally not apportionable.

Special features

If there are water meters in the property and the consumption per unit is recorded, the water costs should be distributed according to consumption. Section 556a of the German Civil Code provides that consumption-related operating costs are to be apportioned according to a standard that takes into account the difference in consumption.

As a rule, basic fees and other non-consumption components of the water supply may be distributed together with the consumption costs. The Federal Court of Justice has generally allowed this for the cold water supply, but points out that this does not apply without restriction, especially in the case of significant vacancy.

Water meter costs such as rent, calibration or maintenance are basically part of the water supply. However, since Immodio offers a separate category for this (see Rent, calibration, maintenance for water meters), these costs should be booked there.

Rental, calibration, maintenance for water meters

You use this category for costs that have arisen in connection with water meters and are to be passed on to the tenants according to the bill.

These include, for example:

  • Rent or lease of water meters

  • Costs for the use or transfer of water meters

  • Calibration costs or costs for replacement, if this is done instead of a necessary calibration

  • ongoing service or maintenance costs for water meters

The costs for water meters are part of the costs of water supply according to § 2 no. 2 BetrKV.

When to use this category

Choose this category if you have an invoice or statement that shows costs for cold water meters or general water meters.

This category belongs to the water and wastewater sector. It is not intended for heating meters, hot water meters within the heating and hot water bill or other types of meters.

According to the Measurement and Verification Ordinance, the calibration period for cold and hot water meters is currently 6 years.

Rainwater costs

You use this category for costs incurred by the drainage of rainwater or rainwater from the property.

These include, for example, fees for rainwater, rainwater, surface drainage or the drainage of water from roof surfaces, courtyard areas, driveways or other paved surfaces.

Choose this category if rainwater is shown separately in your fee notice or statement.

Why is rainwater booked separately?

Rainwater is different from dirty water. Dirty water is regularly related to water consumption. Rainwater, on the other hand, is caused by rainwater that is discharged from built-up or paved areas of the property into the sewer system.

Therefore, rainwater is often calculated according to the size of the sealed or connected areas and not according to the individual water consumption of the tenants. Separate posting ensures that these costs are taken into account correctly and comprehensibly in the operating cost statement.

Only book costs that have been expressly incurred for rainwater, rainwater or surface drainage. General wastewater or wastewater fees can be booked in the category for "All costs for drainage, drainage, sewage, maintenance, no repairs".

Water and wastewater in a condominium owners' association (WEG)

Water and drainage according to the WEG bill

You can use this category if the rented unit is part of a condominium owners' association (WEG) and you already have a finished WEG annual statement or house fee statement.

Book here the costs for water and drainage, which are shown in the condominium statement for the rented unit and are to be passed on to the tenant as part of the operating cost statement.

These can include, for example:

  • Fresh water / cold water

  • Dirty water / sewage

  • Drainage

  • Channel fees

  • Rainwater, provided that it is shown in the condominium statement together with water and drainage

Select this category if you do not enter your own invoices from the water supplier or the municipality for the entire property, but the costs have already been distributed to your unit via the condominium bill.

This is typically the case if you rent out a single condominium and the property management of the WEG has already distributed the water and drainage costs to the individual owners in the annual statement.

Assignment

For the assignment, select "Unit" and then select the affected rented unit. The booking is then assigned directly to this unit and then taken into account in the operating cost statement for the associated tenancy.

Do not book the entire condominium statement or the entire house fee here. Use only the portion that is actually allocated to water and drainage and may be apportioned to the tenant.