Total operating cost statement

You can see the individual cost items, the total costs, the advance payments made and the resulting additional payment or reimbursement.

Before you proceed with billing, you can check the appropriate distribution key for each of the listed cost items and adjust it if necessary. The distribution key determines the standard according to which the costs are distributed among the individual units or tenancies.

Legal principle

If no special distribution key has been agreed, operating costs are generally distributed according to the proportion of living space. However, costs incurred according to recorded consumption or recorded causation must be apportioned according to a standard that takes into account this different consumption or causation.

Below is an overview of all the distribution keys available in Immodio, as well as a brief explanation of them.

Distribution key "square meters"

The distribution key "square meters" distributes the costs according to the ratio of the living space of a unit to the total living space of the billing property.

Example: If an apartment has 80 m² and the entire property has 400 m², this apartment bears 20% of the relevant cost item.

This key is the basic legal standard if no other distribution key has been agreed in the rental agreement and no more specific legal regulation applies. It is particularly suitable for general cold operating costs that affect the building as a whole and cannot be sensibly measured according to individual consumption.

Typical use cases can be, for example, property tax, building insurance, general building costs, caretaker costs or other property-related operating costs, provided that these costs are apportionable according to the rental agreement and the Operating Costs Ordinance. The specific apportionment capacity always depends on the respective type of cost and the tenancy agreement.

Distribution key "Number of units"

The distribution key "Number of units" distributes a cost item evenly among all billing-relevant units. Each unit bears the same share, regardless of living space, number of people or consumption.

Example: If a cost item is €300.00 and there are three units in a property, €100.00 per unit is applied.

This key may be appropriate if a cost item is typically incurred per unit or if each unit is affected in the same way, regardless of its size. However, it should only be used if the rental agreement allows this standard or if it is legally justifiable for the respective type of cost. In the absence of a different agreement, the distribution of residential rent according to living space generally applies.

Distribution key "Water billing"

The distribution key "Water billing" distributes costs based on the water bill carried out in Immodio or the recorded water consumption.

This key is relevant for water supply and drainage costs. According to the Operating Costs Ordinance, apportionable water costs include, among other things, water consumption, land charges, meter rent, costs of intermediate meters and certain costs of calculation and apportionment. Drainage costs include, in particular, fees for house and property drainage as well as the operation of corresponding drainage systems.

As soon as the water consumption of the individual units is recorded, a consumption-based distribution is the most comprehensible benchmark. Section 556a of the Civil Code provides that costs that depend on recorded consumption or recorded causation are to be apportioned according to a standard that takes into account this different consumption or this different causation.

As a landlord, you should check whether the meter readings are complete and plausibly recorded. In particular, the start and end results of the billing period as well as interim readings in the event of tenant changes are important. If consumption data is missing or meters are defective, the selected calculation should be documented in a comprehensible manner.

Distribution key "Heating cost billing"

The distribution key "Heating cost bill" uses the separate heating cost bill to distribute the costs for heating and, if applicable, hot water. This key is particularly important for central heating systems, central hot water supply or heat supply.

According to the Heating Costs Ordinance, heating costs and hot water costs must in principle be distributed at least 50% and at most 70% according to recorded consumption. The remaining costs are distributed according to living or usable space. Immodio automatically takes care of this breakdown for you, depending on which values you have entered in the property under Billing .

If, contrary to the Heating Costs Ordinance, billing is not based on consumption, the user may be entitled to a right to reduction .

The apportionable heating costs typically include running costs of operating the heating system, such as fuel, operating electricity, operation, monitoring, care, maintenance and costs of consumption recording.

Repairs, repairs or the replacement of the heating system, on the other hand, are generally not ongoing operating costs.

Distribution key "Direct"

The distribution key "Direct" means that a cost item is not distributed to all units of the property, but is completely assigned to a specific unit or tenancy.

This key is only suitable for costs that can be clearly assigned to a specific tenant in law and in fact. This can be the case, for example, if an amount relates exclusively to a specific unit or if a tenant has to bear a certain amount of costs himself due to an effective contractual regulation.

The "Direct" key is particularly important for minor or micro repairs, if these have been selected for allocation in Immodio. These appear at the end of the list and are not distributed to all tenants, but are assigned directly to the tenancy in question. Legally, however, these are not ordinary operating costs, but repair costs that can only be transferred to the tenant under strict conditions.

Important: Small or micro repairs are not general operating costs. According to the legal principle, the landlord is obliged to maintain the leased property in a condition suitable for use in accordance with the contract. According to the Operating Costs Ordinance, maintenance and repair costs are generally not part of the apportionable operating costs.

An apportionment to the tenant can only be considered if the lease contains an effective minor repair clause. Such a clause must, in particular, include a reasonable maximum amount per individual repair, an overall annual cap, and a limitation to items subject to the renter's frequent and immediate access.

If a repair exceeds the agreed individual upper limit, it should not be charged pro rata up to the maximum limit. Minor repair clauses usually do not work as a deductible, but only for repairs within the agreed limit.