Read water meters in rented apartments

Consumption-based billing through the installation of water meters in rental apartments

If there are water meters in rented apartments, the tenants are entitled to a consumption-based billing of their water costs. By reading it regularly, you can determine and control your water consumption.

• In principle, however, your landlord is not obliged to have water clocks installed subsequently. Even if you retrofit a water meter, the landlord does not have to bill based on consumption in this case.
• The landlord alone decides whether or not water meters are installed in the rental apartments of an apartment building.
• As a tenant, you are therefore not entitled to the subsequent installation of water meters in rented apartments.
• However, your water costs can only be calculated based on consumption by reading the water meter. You should therefore pay attention to existing water meters when you move into your new rental apartment.
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Are water clocks compulsory? - Useful information for landlords

If there are water meters, you have to bill according to consumption. Are not …

• If there are no water meters, your water costs will be calculated according to the number of people or the number of square meters.
• Your landlord may retrofit water meters in his rented apartment, even without your consent, because the installation is considered a modernization measure. After the installation, the landlord must then calculate your water costs based on consumption.

If rental apartments are equipped with water meters, tenants are also entitled to a bill that corresponds to the actual consumption. Usually, after reading the water meters, the billing is created for a specific billing period. The reading can be done by the landlord, tenant, the water company or a representative.