Energy/Ancillary Expenses

While measures such as the gas and electricity price brakes are dampening costs at the moment, they cannot protect all of us from financial problems. For this reason, Vonovia supports a temporary moratorium on the termination of rental contracts, without restrictions. Our first rule is: If someone can't pay a rent increase or ancillary expenses, we find a solution together.

We focus on cooperation, a tactic that already proved successful during the coronavirus pandemic. We offer payment by installment or rent deferral and help with administrative procedures. Termination of the rental contract is the very last resort. Transparency is a must – we need to know when a tenant can no longer completely afford to meet their monthly payments.

At the same time, we'd like to point out that increasing energy prices are a fundamental problem for society as a whole – they affect all individuals and businesses. Though we take our responsibility very seriously, we can't solve problems that require an overall societal response by ourselves.

Vonovia has already taken comprehensive action to reduce energy consumption in its own properties and to make tenants aware of the development of costs. We lower the temperature in our properties significantly at night – between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. – to save energy.
 

• We provide tenants with information (via phone, letter, personal contact).
• If tenants are entitled to claim government benefits that they are not currently receiving, Vonovia provides general information on how to get them.
• This step may also include an agreement on deferred payment or payment by installment (individual solutions).
• We have been providing information on rising energy prices and tips on how to save energy since the beginning of the year.
• In most cases, we waive an increase in heating and electricity costs and defer them to the next ancillary expense bill.
• Vonovia only issues an official payment summons if a tenant is not entitled to grants or benefits and has rejected the individual solution that was offered.