Have you already received your 2017 statement for heating and ancillary costs? We show you how to check this document in six easy steps , identify any mistakes, and avoid inadmissible additional demands.
If, like around 60 percent of Swiss residents, you rent your home, you could well receive your 2017 statement of heating and ancillary costs from your landlord or your property management around this time. Although the timing is not stipulated, settlement of these costs is usually scheduled for year-end or mid-year. If the actual heating and ancillary costs exceed the total payments made on account, you normally have to make a back payment. If on the other hand your total payments on account exceed the actual costs, you will receive a refund from your landlord – or the corresponding amount will be credited to your next annual statement. You won't receive a statement if your heating and ancillary costs are already included in your rental contract or if you settle these costs by way of a lump sum payment.
When the statement of heating and ancillary costs arrives in the post, it's worth examining it carefully – especially if the costs have risen considerably versus the prior year and the landlord is demanding a corresponding back payment. When checking your annual statement of heating and ancillary costs, take it step by step:
In general, it is advisable to agree a sufficiently high payment on account when drawing up the rental contract. This generally allows you to avoid large back payments for the accrued heating and ancillary costs. You can also ask the landlord to amend the payments on account for ancillary costs for an existing rental agreement – this benefits both parties, after all.
We use cookies and analysis tools to improve the user friendliness of the Internet website and personalise the advertising of AXA and advertising partners. More details: